Man ordered to stand trial for murder of 10-week-old infant daughter in central Queensland

A man accused of murdering a baby girl in central Queensland last year has been ordered to stand trial.

Tyron Peter Donald Grealy, now 22, is accused of murdering his infant daughter, 10-week-old Hazley Ellen Shanks.

Emergency services were called to a home in Gracemere, outside Rockhampton, on January 19 last year, after reports of an infant who was unconscious and not breathing.

Hazley was taken to Rockhampton Hospital then flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane where she died three days later.

Mr Grealy was charged by police with one count of murder, a domestic violence offence, in the weeks that followed, and has since remained in custody.

A committal hearing was held in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Monday.

Hazley was born eight weeks premature on November 10, 2024.

She spent her first month of life in a hospital neonatal care unit, before being discharged on December 13.

The court heard that a little over five weeks later, Hazley had died from a fatal head injury.

Two expert witnesses, forensic pathologist Dr Beng Beng Ong and consultant and paediatrician Dr Claire Gibbons, were cross-examined over video link.

The questions, led by Mr Grealy's Legal Aid defence barrister Laura Reece, focused on medical reports and the nature and cause of injuries Hazley had at the time of her hospital admission.

She questioned if Hazley had those injuries prior to January 19.

Ms Reece said Mr Grealy told police he threw Hazley into the side of the cot, but that she "didn't hit the sides, she may have hit the beam of the cot", and she "may have hit her head once".

Dr Ong confirmed Hazley had pre-existing injuries that were not the cause of death, including fractured ribs, subdural haemorrhage (brain bleed) and bruises to arms and legs.

Dr Ong told the court he could not definitively say when the injuries occurred, but estimated one or two weeks before the hospital admission, given some had begun to heal.

When answering questions from Ms Reece, Dr Ong said the pre-existing injuries could have been caused by "excessive firm handling" and that "normal handling" of an infant would not have caused the fractures.

He said it was possible the injuries were caused by shaking, pulling or a moving of the limbs.

Ms Reece described Mr Grealy's treatment of Hazley as "inexperienced handling".

Dr Gibbons was questioned by Ms Reece in relation to the paediatrician's 65-page report on the death.

Dr Gibbons told the court she agreed Hazley had pre-existing injuries prior to her death.

Dr Gibbons said the injuries appeared to have been caused by a pulling force and said they would not occur from "typical handling" of a child.

Mr Grealy did not enter a plea.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale ordered Mr Grealy to stand trial in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton at a future date.

He remains in custody.