Mom takes the stand at the trial of Shane Claude Roberts, accused of murdering Rotorua’s baby Karlos Stephens

Pamela Stephens “trusted and believed” every word Shane Claude Roberts said when he offered to babysit their twin babies, a jury was told.

Now Roberts, 61, is on trial for the murder of one of the children.

He pleaded not guilty to the murder of Karlos Stephens, aged 10 months, between November 29 and 30, 2014. His trial began today in Rotorua High Court.

Baby Karlos died of a “significant” head injury that caused bleeding on the surface of the brain and behind the eyes.

The Crown argues that Roberts assaulted the baby causing the fatal injuries and was “reckless” as to whether or not he died, but Roberts’ attorney asked the jury to question whether it was “really a murder case” or whether Roberts he was even the person responsible.

Karlos’s mother, Pamela Stephens, took the stand today and gave a tearful testimony.

She told the jury that she had seen Roberts as a friend and that she “really believed” that he would be “very useful” with her twins.

Stephens had given birth to the “healthy” children, Karlos and Hosea, in January 2014. The father was not around, but she was living with her mother and four other children at the time, she said.

When the children were about 4 months old, she began to suffer from what her doctor said might be postpartum depression.

She found that she was feeling “bad”, “depressed” and “losing interest” in herself, she said. Her doctor gave her no medication, but suggested she go to therapy.

It was around this time, May 2014, that she met Roberts through a friend. She spoke of the problems and difficulties she was having in her life with him.

She said Roberts volunteered to care for the twins with the help of his ex-wife Rachael Broughton when the children were about 4 months old.

She said she “trusted and believed every word she said”.

Roberts, Stephens, and the twins had been at Broughton’s home on Homedale St to discuss “arrangements” for babysitting while she “groomed” herself and found a stable place to live.

Stephens said she understood that Broughton and Roberts would take the twins away temporarily while she took time to “get back on my feet.”

“He needed a break and he also needed a break. His hands were pretty busy. He needed an extra hand.”

Stephens found emergency shelter with her other children, but decided to leave the twins in Roberts’s care.

He “wanted to be her foster father,” he said, and was happy that he became that, as he believed he was “capable” of doing what he said.

She decided it would be best if Roberts and Broughton stayed with the children long term, she said, but she was still able to see the children weekly.

Both children were in good health and Stephens said she had never had any concerns for their well-being before Karlos’ death.

Stephens had stayed at Roberts’s address on Alison St the week of Karlos’s murder to spend time with their children.

He stayed two nights in the house, which was without power, waiting for Roberts. She “had no money or assets” at the time, she said.

Roberts showed up Nov. 29 with the children, but only stayed on the property for half an hour as he needed to see someone to “take care of something,” he said.

He left the children with Stephens for a while, who recalled that Hosea was active, while Karlos was “feverish”, “grizzly”, “clingy and tired” and “just wanted to be hugged”.

Stephens told the court that Roberts told him that Karlos had not wanted to drink or eat anything and that he suspected he might have the flu.

He said he asked Roberts about the children’s doctor visits and the fact that there was no electricity in the house.

She was concerned that her baby might have been dehydrated and wanted to be seen by healthcare professionals right away.

Roberts came back and left with the children saying that he would sort out some finances and take the children to Lakes Care and return later that night, Stephens told the court.

While he was away, Stephens said he did a few things at the house on Alison St to make it more “livable.”

He waited until midnight, but Roberts didn’t return, he said.

It wasn’t until the next morning that he would see him, when he knocked on the door around 7:30 a.m. saying Karlos wasn’t breathing, the Crown said.

Stephens will take the witness stand again tomorrow morning.

The trial continues.