THE jury in the trial of two parents charged with causing the death of their one-month-old baby is set to be sent out to make a verdict.

This comes after a two-week trial in which James Lawton, 28, was accused of shaking his son Colby to death shortly before he passed away in Newbury in the early hours of May 9, 2020.

His on-off partner, Chantelle Stroud, 25, of Newtown Road, Newbury, has been charged with causing or allowing the death of a person aged under 16 -- an accusation she denies.

Following the fortnight-long trial, the jury was today read a summary of the evidence heard throughout.

Jurors are set to be sent out to make a decision on the charges tomorrow morning (November 24).

READ MORE: Father accepts injuries caused one-month-old baby's death but denies causing them

Before Mrs Justice Stacey summed up the evidence, Stroud’s defence counsel said her client was “shattered” by her son’s death and asked the jury to put themselves in her shoes.

She said: “Chantelle Stroud told you how not a day goes by she doesn’t think about what happened.

“To this day she finds it difficult to think about what happened.

“You know she’s of good character.

“She’s going to have to live with the fact she’s lost a baby for the rest of her life.

“She may have made mistakes and misjudgements, but that’s not what she’s on trial for.

“If she had known what the future held, she would never have started that relationship.

“Never did she think James would ever hurt Colby. If she had, she would have made him leave.

“There was nothing to suggest Colby was at serious risk of significant harm from James Lawton.”

Last week, the jury heard evidence from James Lawton, who denies murdering Colby.

READ MORE: Mother allowed man to 'violently' shake one-month-old baby to death

Lawton, 28, formerly of Boreham Field, Wiltshire, said he accepted medical evidence that showed his son Colby had suffered fatal injuries prior to his death but denied committing them.

The man recounted how in the week before his death, Colby would let out a loud, high-pitched cry when he picked him up and said the tot was not happy to be picked up in his last few days.

Asked what his last interaction with Colby was before he was put to bed on May 8, the night before Colby’s death, Lawton responded: “When I had him in my arms walking around the sitting room and she [Stroud] came back with the shop.”

The next time he saw Colby was when he heard him making noises. The noises were “like a grunting sound”, the court heard.

He went into the bedroom to pick Colby up as he was “a bit pale.”

The father said Colby was not “as responsive as usual” but that “didn’t really concern me at that time.”

Later in the evening, he described Colby as being “really floppy” and he went straight to the bedroom to wake Stroud up as he was “really panicky at this stage” and because he thought Colby was choking.

At this point, Colby was so pale he was “almost white”.

Lawton said he told Stroud Colby was not breathing. He passed him to Stroud and she patted him on the back.

READ MORE: Duo set to face trial over death of one-month old baby

They swapped phones. Stroud called an ambulance on Lawton’s phone as he had no credit, while he called his mother on Stroud’s phone.

He said a 999 responder told Stroud to give Colby CPR on a hard surface.

The court heard how Lawton attempted CPR on Colby by pinching his nose and breathing into his mouth, but did not try chest compressions.

Colby did not respond to these attempts to revive him.

At the start of the trial, the prosecution alleged Lawton shook Colby in the short hours before his death.

Elosie Marshall QC, prosecuting, said: “We say Colby was shaken extensively and violently, causing bleeds on the brains, fractures and the other injuries.

“We say this happened in the minutes and in the hour before Colby’s death.”

The prosecution also alleged Lawton broke Colby’s skull in a separate incident days before his death.

When quizzed about the lump on Colby’s head, Lawton said he did not know where the injury came from.

He said he did not seek medical advice after discussing the injury with Stroud despite asking his mother if he should get care for Colby.