A FATHER who denies murdering his three-month-old son yesterday told a court: “I loved him, I tried to help him.”

Baby Julian Hinz was rushed to hospital on April 8 last year after sustaining skull fractures and a bleed to the brain. He died a day later as a result of his injuries.

Father Robert Hinz, of Carysfort Road in Boscombe, was caring for Julian alone when the tot was injured, prosecutors allege.

The baby’s mother Monica had put him in his cot, uninjured, before going out to the shops, jurors heard.

Hinz, 34, told the court he had not harmed his son.

He said: “I didn’t do anything to hurt Julian, to murder him. There’s evidence I was the only person in the bedroom with him but I didn’t murder him.

“I do not remember what happened in the bedroom but I didn’t murder my son, I tried to help him.”

He added: “He was my son, I loved him, I would do anything for him. I would give my life for him.

“I do not understand what happened, I do not remember but I didn’t murder my son.

“I didn’t do nothing to hurt him.”

Prosecutors allege Julian’s injuries could only have been caused as the baby was “thrown or swung into something hard with severe force”.

However, Hinz said he “didn’t have any reason to do something bad” to Julian and instead told jurors the baby had stopped breathing while in his cot.

“He wasn’t breathing when I picked him up,” the defendant said.

“He was floppy, he didn’t breathe.”

Hinz attempted to resuscitate Julian while the baby’s uncle called an ambulance, he said.

“I started to do resuscitation, blowing in his mouth, pressing on his chest,” he said.

“I was in panic, in shock. It’s hard to explain how I was feeling but I was in panic because my son wasn’t breathing.

“I tried to help him.”

Hinz denied that he had a habit of losing his temper but admitted swearing during the 999 call and damaging the flat when the paramedics arrived.

He said: “I was in frustration at why this happened to us. My son was dying.

“I couldn’t help him, I was in panic, I took out my frustration on the door and the wall.”

Hinz denies murder and three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial at Winchester Crown Court continues.