Mum, 32, sobs as she and boyfriend, 36, appear in court for murder of her ‘cheeky’ two-year-old son
A MUM sobbed as she and her boyfriend appeared in court charged with the murder of her two-year-old son.
Sarah O'Brien, 32, and her boyfriend Martin Currie, 36, appeared before magistrates in Doncaster, South Yorkshire today charged with Keigan Ronnie O'Brien's murder.
The toddler died in hospital on Thursday afternoon after being taken there on Wednesday.
Emergency services were called to a house on Bosworth Road, Adwick, Doncaster at about 11am that morning, after reports that the little boy had gone into cardiac arrest.
A post-mortem examination carried out on Friday night concluded that he died as a result of head injuries.
The pair appeared separately in court in hearings that lasted just a few minutes.
Both defendants spoke only to confirm their name, age and address and that they understood the charge against them.
Sarah O'Brien wept throughout the proceedings.
Details of the case and the circumstances surrounding Keigan's death were not outlined in court and they were not invited to enter a plea to the charges at this stage.
Both were remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, January 14.
Specialist officers have updated Keigan's family and are continuing to support them as they try to come to terms with and digest what has happened over the last 48-hours.
The toddler has been described as a "cheeky monkey".
Keigan's devastated aunt, Katie, told the Sun Online: "It's heartbreaking what happened, we just can't believe it and his gran is besides herself with grief.
"We're all so shocked."
The last time Katie saw her nephew was on Monday when he celebrated his birthday with a trip to huge indoor play ground Flip Out in Doncaster.
Floral tributes were placed at the home of the toddler where a Happy Birthday banner can still be seen in the lounge window.
One message reads: "RIP. Fly high little man."
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Neighbours told of their “shock and disbelief” following the tragedy.
David Brown said: “A woman was sitting on the kerb outside crying her eyes out and totally distraught."
Dad-of-two David added: “We can’t believe this happened on our doorsteps. It’s shocking. We hadn’t heard any disturbance."
