Father Luke Pendergast details last weeks with son Baylen before his 2013 death in Tamworth at Tamworth Coronial Inquest

Luke Pendergast took the stand on Thursday at the inquest in Tamworth into the death of his son, Baylen, and said it had been “four-and-a-half stressful years” as he grappled with the loss of the 22-month-old.

Wiping away tears, Mr Pendergast detailed the last weeks of Baylen’s life in late-November, 2013.

The inquest has been told this week the little boy, who died after his life support was turned off after suffering brain damage and a fractured skull, was perfectly healthy on November 16 – a day before he was found by his mother with blood and vomit on him after reportedly falling from his racing car bed.

“He was just being Baylen, just running around, enjoying himself,” Mr Pendergast said of the November 16 playdate.

“There was no injuries on him.”

Mr Pendergast said he was told on November 19 that “Baylen had a massive black eye” by family and contacted Baylen’s mother, Zoe, who said she had contacted a GP helpline and “they said it was nothing to worry about”.

“Just that he fell over in the racecar bed, I wasn’t told much,” Mr Pendergast said of how he suffered the injury.

After his son was born, Mr Pendergast left truck driving to return home as a mechanic to spend more time with him. When he bought his son a racing car bed, he said he bought a higher mattress to protect the edges of the bed.

On November 22, after he returned from work in Melbourne, Mr Pendergast went to the Tamworth hospital after he was told Baylen could have a head injury and was being admitted.

He said Baylen was “spewing and grizzly and stuff like that” and was comforting his son, and not involved in the discussions with the medical staff.

“I was taking care of Baylen,” he said.

Mr Pendergast said he knew a CT-scan of Baylen “didn’t come back clear” and a second one was needed, as well as an MRI. 

The inquest has been told Baylen left hospital on November 24 on a ‘gate-pass’ but did not return that day and never had a second CT-scan in Tamworth or an MRI.

On the 25th, Mr Pendergast said his son “was alright, wasn’t vomiting or anything like that, just tired”, but “looked drained from having no energy” the day before. A day later, he said his son’s condition appeared to deteriorate.

“He looked really bad … he looked like he was limped out, drugged out,” he told the inquest, remembering his son laying on a pillow on the floor.

“I knew he was going downhill.”

Mr Pendergast said he didn’t know Baylen had not been discharged from hospital, but had left on a gate pass. He said he rang Baylen’s mother on November 26 – two days after leaving hospital – and said “[Baylen] needed to go to the doctor”.

On November 28, when he had him again for the afternoon, he knew things weren’t right and that his son had a possible skull fracture. He knew to “be careful what he did … hold his hand on the steps”.

He said he took his young son – who “liked cuddles” and used to eat sausages, steak, “anything you put in front of him” – inside, watched TV and showered him.

“He wouldn’t let go of me, he just sort of cuddled me,” he told the inquest, adding he wasn’t eating, “was tired-looking and not himself”.

Baylen was rushed to hospital unconscious on the night of November 28 from his mother’s home. He was airlifted to hospital in Sydney where he passed away on November 30.

Deputy state coroner Derek Lee is examining the cause of, and nature of, the injuries to Baylen, and how he suffered them and “was the care and treatment appropriate”, and whether there was a “failure to properly diagnose head injuries” on the prior visit to Tamworth hospital. 

Coroner Lee will also look at whether clinical staff took appropriate measures including notification to child protection authorities, as well as what caused Baylen to lose consciousness on November 24.

The inquest continues.