Witness breaks down on the stand during Meagan Work sentencing
Nov 28, 2018
"AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The judge ordered a break at the beginning of the third day of Meagan Work's sentencing after an emotional witness needed to regain his composure while talking about abuse he said he witnessed in 2014.
Judge David Wahlberg said a five-minute recess was needed when Robert Coe started crying after he expressed his regret for not calling 911 when he saw a woman slam a child's head into a truck door. The judge's voice sounded like it cracked when he stopped the testimony, and he reached for a tissue.
"Of course I wish I had reported it," Coe said, "but the fact that I didn't, to this day and the rest of my life, will haunt me."
"It's possible," he added, "I may have heard or seen that little boy's last breath." ...
Prosecutors also called Dr. Kelly Liker, a pediatrician, to the stand...
Dr. Liker told prosecutors that she reviewed pictures of Colton, his medical records, the medical examiner's report after his death and the transcript of Work's interview with police. Work had told detectives that Colton died after suffering a seizure in the truck. She described his symptoms to police as breathing irregularly, going limp, being unresponsive and moaning.
Dr. Liker said, in her medical opinion, that these symptoms most likely happened because of abusive head trauma instead of a seizure...
Additional testimony is expected Wednesday afternoon, including the medical examiner. .."
Witness breaks down on the stand during Meagan Work sentencing
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Judge teary-eyed during testimony at Meagan Work sentencing hearing
"State District Judge David Wahlberg became teary-eyed on the bench Wednesday, the third day of Meagan Work’s sentencing hearing in connection with the death of her toddler, Colton Turner.
It happened after a brief recess that Wahlberg ordered so witness Robert Coe could compose himself following a particularly emotional portion of his testimony....
Coe, who was sobbing in the Travis County courtroom, asked to take a break so he could gather himself. When he returned, he apologized to Wahlberg for getting emotional. The judge assured Coe that he had nothing to apologize for and said many other people in the courtroom regret their lack of response to allegations that Work had been abusing the boy.
Wahlberg’s voice cracked as he told Coe, “We all share the pain that you’re in.” The judge, with moist eyes, then grabbed a tissue from his desk...."
Judge teary-eyed during testimony at Meagan Work sentencing hearing
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Witness said Meagan Work shook, slammed Colton Turner
" ...Robert Coe said he hoped his testimony would influence the punishment that state District Judge David Wahlberg hands down to Work when the hearing concludes later this week...
He said he was removing items from his work truck on Cameron Road in 2014 when he heard a child crying inside of a truck at a nearby building where Work’s boyfriend, Michael Turner, worked as a handyman. Coe testified that a woman struck the child with her right arm “kind of firmly.”
“At that point, it garnered 100 percent of my attention,” Coe said.
The woman, who prosecutors say was Work, then hit the child once or twice more, but this time with more force, Coe said. The woman placed the child, who was not wearing shoes, on the hot pavement, Coe explained. By this time, the child’s crying had escalated to screaming, he said.
Coe said the assault occurred on July 7, the same day — Work had told authorities — that Colton suffered a seizure outside of Michael Turner’s workplace. ...
Coe’s testimony continued with more serious allegations of abuse. He told the judge that the woman lifted the child by his armpits and shook him “kind of like a doll.” The boy’s head slammed against the truck’s door, he said, adding “I could hear the thud.” The woman and the child soon drove off with a man who prosecutors say was Michael Turner....
Coe’s testimony came at the end of the second day of Work’s sentencing and will continue Wednesday, when prosecutors are scheduled to play video of an Austin police interview from four years ago in which Coe used a doll as a prop to show authorities what the alleged assault had looked like. Work’s defense lawyers will also get an opportunity to challenge Coe’s testimony...."
Witness said Meagan Work shook, slammed Colton Turner
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