Kayleigh Siswick denies causing or allowing the death of a child at Leeds Crown Court (Picture: Ben Lack/PA)

A three-year-old boy died after he was violently attacked by his mother’s boyfriend and she did nothing to get medical help, a jury has heard.

Riley Siswick died from a painful stomach infection after being beaten so severely by Kyle Campbell, 26, that his bowel was severed, prosecutors said.

He was found dead two days after Campbell allegedly attacked him at their home in Huddersfield.

Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that neither Campbell nor Riley’s mum Kayleigh Siswick, 26, called 999 or raised the alarm, despite her son’s rapidly deteriorating condition.


It ‘would have been obvious’ to anyone that he was not okay, the prosecutor said.



Jurors heard how Riley was injured in his abdomen by Campbell on Thursday, February 4, 2016, ‘either from a fist, or by jumping or stamping on him or by striking him with an object’.

The blow was so severe Riley’s bowel was severed, spilling his stomach contents internally, which caused peritonitis – a life-threatening infection.

Riley Siswick died aged three (Picture: MEN) Riley was found dead at his home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on Febuary 6, 2016 (Picture: MEN) Kayleigh Siswick (left) with Kyle Campbell (right) who is accused of murder (Picture: MEN) Mr Smith said this would have caused severe pain which ‘would have been obvious to the person who caused the injury or any adult who saw him after the injury was sustained on Thursday afternoon’.

He said the boy would have deteriorated and developed septic shock.

The prosecutor said Riley eventually died from the peritonitis and hypovolemic shock due to fluid loss.

He told the court: ‘His situation was a medical emergency.

‘His deteriorating condition would have been obvious to both defendants.

‘Why, at any time from that Thursday onwards, neither of the defendants telephoned for medical help or took him to accident and emergency at the local hospital.’

Kayleigh Siswick arrives at Leeds Crown Court where she is on trial for causing or allowing the death of her son Riley aged just 3 (Picture: Ben Lack)

Prosecutors argue that Siswick ‘chose her boyfriend over her son’ (Picture: Ben Lack)

The trial continues at Leeds Crown Court (Picture: PA)

The boy’s mum failed to seek medical help for her son and ‘instead, she chose to protect Kyle Campbell’ the prosecutor said.

Paramedics were eventually called to the house on the Saturday, but Riley was already dead and had been for a number of hours, the court heard.

Prosecutors argue Siswick was out of the house when Riley was injured but said there was evidence she knew Campbell had injured her son before and she would have been aware that he was capable of hurting him again.

Mr Smith said that when paramedics arrived, Siswick said ‘why didn’t I check on him’ and ‘we just found him like this’.

Campbell denies murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. He also denies two counts of causing actual bodily harm.

Siswick denies causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.

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