A central Queensland man accused of killing his baby son has been ordered to stand trial for murder after the extent of some of his injuries were revealed in court.
In January 2020, four-month-old Finnick Burger suffered brain and internal injuries at his Sun Valley home near Gladstone.
He was originally taken to a local hospital but was flown to the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane where he later died.
Shortly after his death his father Tiaan Burger was charged with his murder.
Injuries 'totally inconsistent' with fall
On Monday, a committal hearing held in Brisbane heard from a forensic pathologist who conducted the child's autopsy.
Dr Rohan Samarasinghe told the court the baby had suffered a brain injury consistent with shaking, but also noted several injuries to his body, including posterior fractures to his ribs and isolated bruising.
"When someone is squeezing the abdomen or holding the abdomen In their hands, these sorts of patterns are found," he said.
When asked if the injuries could have been sustained after falling from a highchair, Dr Samarasinghe said it was "unlikely".
He said the fractures were almost symmetrical "to both sides" and there was no evidence of blunt force trauma to his back.
"This pattern is totally inconsistent from falling from a reasonable height," he said.
"To me there's no other explanation than squeezing causing those injuries."
When asked if he considered an accidental fall, Dr Samarasinghe said "this is a normal thing we consider" and denied not considering any other explanation than shaken baby syndrome.
"We consider all the aspects … if you take a whole picture of the injuries, this is a very classical [shaken baby syndrome]," he said.
The court heard three days before the baby died, he had a doctor's appointment where he received vaccinations, which was described as an "unremarkable physical examination".
On the day he was admitted to hospital, his mother heard a cry which was "not normal" for the baby, before he went into a comatose state, the court heard.
After Mr Burger's lawyer accepted there was a prima facie case for his client to be committed, a magistrate ordered Mr Burger to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
When asked if he wanted to say anything in relation to the charge or enter a plea, he said "no, your honour".
Mr Burger, who was already on bail, was free to leave court.
