A man has admitted to killing an 11-month-old baby girl who died of "catastrophic injuries" to her brain more than two years ago.
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that readers may find distressing.
Kaysharn Purcell was found unresponsive at her home at Corinda in Brisbane's west in February 2020 and died in the Queensland Children's Hospital four days later.
Several weeks later, Diquan Erwin Lloyd Fisher from Inala in Brisbane's south-west — who was 18 at the time and known to the baby and her mother — was originally charged with her murder.
In the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, Fisher pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
It comes after a committal hearing heard last month, where the court heard that more than 90 witnesses had given statements to police in relation to the case.
Baby's injuries were 'catastrophic'
Two doctors also gave evidence to the hearing over the phone, detailing the spinal and head injuries the girl had allegedly suffered.
Forensic pathologist Dr Li Ma, who carried out the autopsy, told the court she had detected haemorrhages in the baby's head.
Dr Ma said she had determined the death was most likely caused by "vigorous shaking" or a severe "soft" blunt force impact but believed it could have been a combination of both.
"It is very difficult to determine the predominant mechanism," Dr Ma told the court.
Paediatric specialist in child protection at the Queensland Children's Hospital, Dr Deanna True, told the court the injuries were "catastrophic" and there must have been "substantial" shaking involved.
"It does have to be very violent and likely to endanger the baby's life," Dr True said.
Fisher has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in the Supreme Court at a later date.
