The sudden death of a Kiwi mother's baby in Australia was not an accident, according to a coroner who says her ex-partner was involved in the death.
Tanita Brenssell's 11-month-old boy Israel was found unresponsive in 2015, and she's been looking for answers ever since.
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"I am satisfied baby Israel did not die due to natural causes," coroner Philip Byrne told the Coroners Court of Victoria after a four-day inquest was held in June.
He was found "with very obvious physical injuries", so bad it "alarmed" the attending paramedics.
An autopsy revealed he had a fractured leg and bruising consistent with blunt trauma to the face.
Israel's mother told the inquest her ex-boyfriend Quinton Thompson was with Israel in the bathroom when she heard a loud bang.
He told her Israel had taken a tumble and was just whinging before he put him to bed.
"I believe strongly in my head and in my heart that he suffocated Israel. Or he's done something along those lines," Brenssell told the inquest.
No charges were ever laid against Thompson, who was interviewed twice by police, and has since returned to New Zealand without facing charges.
He told police he put the baby to bed, fell asleep after smoking cannabis, then found him unresponsive at 3am.
But the Coroner found evidence to the contrary, saying the inquest had "led me to the conclusion that Mr Thompson was in some manner involved in baby Israel's death and he was indeed the only person present during the period proximate to his death."
Thompson received a subpoena to appear at the inquest but chose not to.
Newshub contacted Thompson for comment regarding this story but received no response.
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