Pubdate: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia) Contact: (c) News Limited 1998 Website: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/ DRUG ADDICT 'TORTURED BABY FOR FIVE WEEKS' A GOLD Coast marijuana addict had admitted inflicting horrific injuries on an 11-month-old baby girl in a systematic torture which lasted five weeks, a court was told yesterday. Taliah Emily Cole was in a critical condition in Brisbane's Mater Children's Hospital yesterday with a perforated bowel, a fractured leg, severe internal bruising and bruising to her legs, arms, back and head. She was barely clinging to life after being airlifted to Brisbane by an emergency medical team on Monday, hours after her mother took her to the Gold Coast Hospital. The Southport Magistrates Court yesterday was told Rory John Maguire, 30, unemployed, who had lived with the baby and her mother at a Parkwood residence for four to five months, had suicidal tendencies and frequently went into "uncontrolled rages". Maguire, who surrendered himself to police, entered no plea to one charge of torture and two charges of causing grievous bodily harm. Police prosecutor Senior- Sergeant Michael Purcell said Maguire had admitted assaulting the baby on numerous occasions over the past five weeks, and told police he had pushed his thumb into her eye, squeezed her legs and head, and punched her in the stomach. Sen-Sgt Purcell said the last and most serious of the assaults, which had escalated in the past two weeks, occurred on Monday, when Maguire hit the baby in the stomach because she cried while he was changing her nappy. "He struck the baby in the stomach, causing it to vomit," Sen-Sgt Purcell said. "(On another occasion) he pushed his thumb into the baby's nose and it slipped into her eye, causing a black eye." Snr-Sgt Purcell, who opposed bail, said Maguire had been a marijuana addict for 17 years and had smoked five cones the night before the latest assault. Defence solicitor Terry Strong said his client had recognised he had a problem with drugs and was awaiting placement at a local drug rehabilitation centre for treatment. Magistrate Peter Webber said Maguire posed an unacceptable risk to society and remanded him in custody to appear for a hearing on December 8. - --- Checked-by: Patrick Henry