A five-month-old baby boy was bitten on the face and on a foot in separate attacks in the week before he was rushed to hospital and died, the Sharon Anne Tuzo manslaughter trial was told yesterday.

Saed Rami Nadir Young also had horrific multiple injuries to his body that would be "obvious to everyone,'' forensic pathologist Dr. Valerie Rao testified.

Dr. Rao told the court that the injuries, which included multiple fractures to the skull and bruising to the face and back, obviously required medical attention.

Tuzo, 21, the dead child's godmother, was looking after Saed with her boyfriend, Jermaine Pearman, at a house in Bob's Valley Lane, Sandys, for ten days before his mother Roshea Young collected him on August 26 1997.

Ms Young, 23, found the baby was in a coma and rushed him to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he died three days later of multiple skull fractures.

Pearman, 27, of Bob's Valley Lane, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced on November 1. Tuzo, of the same address, denies manslaughter.

Senior Crown Counsel Brian Calhoun told the court last week that Tuzo was also guilty of manslaughter because through gross negligence she allegedly failed both to protect the child from abuse or to get him medical attention for his injuries. Dr. Rao, the medical examiner for Dade County, Miami, Florida, said Saed had a discoloured oval mark on his right cheek caused by a human bite inflicted seven to eight days before he was taken to hospital.

The bite mark on his left cheek was not as deep so it was still bruising. She said it would have happened three to four days before he was admitted.

The bite on Saed's left heel was so new the skin had not yet come off and could have been inflicted the day before the baby was taken to hospital.

The baby had scabs and bruising above his eyes, behind his ears and on his back.

Dr. Rao said Saed also had several different fractures on his skull and collar bone which could not have been inflicted by a single blow. When asked by Mr.

Calhoun if the various injuries would have been obvious to anyone, Dr. Rao replied: "Yes. These injuries could be seen very obviously by everybody.'' In statements to police, Tuzo said Saed had fallen from a sofa 18 inches to a carpeted floor. He had also fallen the same height from a bed to a carpet. On another occasion, she said Pearman told her the baby had fallen out of a stroller.

When Mr. Calhoun asked if a baby could topple the stroller, Dr. Rao replied: "It's fairly sturdy. Unless someone intentionally pushed the stroller, it's not going to accidentally fall over.'' Baby boy was bitten on face When asked if the injuries could be caused by a fall from a bed, Dr. Rao said: "There is no way that you can get multiple site fractures on a child's head from a fall from that bed onto a carpeted surface.

"Children fall all the time and they don't sustain fractures. There were multiple fractures at the back and left hand side of the head.

"There is no way Saed Young could have fractured a right clavical and sustained multiple skull fractures and injuries to his face in an accident.

The injuries were intentional. The manner of death was homicidal.'' She said the swelling at the back of the head would have been caused by a "tremendous'' amount of blood under the skull, which again would have been obvious.

Mr. Calhoun said: "Could you indicate whether or not the injuries obvious thus far (whether) medical attention should be required?'' She replied: "Yes.'' "That would be obvious?'' "Yes. The back of the skull would be bruised which would be very painful. You couldn't pick up the child because it would be screaming with pain.'' Dr. Rao said the baby's collar bone could have been fractured 12 hours before he was taken to hospital. Describing the multiple fractures to the collar bone, she said: "Someone pressurised the bone so one area fractured like eggshell.'' Mr. Calhoun read out Tuzo's statement in which she described how Pearman would pick Saed up by his arm and sometimes shake him. He asked if the collar bone injury was consistent with someone grabbing the baby by the arms.

Dr. Rao said: "A person picking up the child by the arm grabbing the child, the manipulation to pick the child up, the pressure exerted on that bone could result in that type of injury to that child.'' The trial before Chief Justice Austin Ward continues today.