A jury at the High Court in Auckland has found a man not guilty of the murder of his two-year-old step daughter but guilty of her manslaughter.
Warick Broadhurst was charged with murdering his stepdaughter Arwen Fletcher.
Arwen was 23 months old when she died after injuries sufferedat her home in Waiuku, 64km south of Auckland, on March 15, 2006.
She was admitted to the Starship hospital with a skull fracture on March 15, 2006. She died two days later.
The crown alleged Arwen died after Broadhurst assaulted her in some way. Broadhurst's lawyer Paul Borich said she died from a freakish and tragic accident.
Crown prosecutor Kate Latimer previously said Broadhurst told the Waiuku doctor, police and Starship staff that Arwen fell in the bathroom shortly after being washed.
He said Arwen got up and walked away but then fell again shortly afterwards and had been incontinent before passing out, Ms Latimer told the court.
Ms Latimer said Starship Hospital specialist Dr Patrick Kelly would give extensive evidence suggesting Arwen did not die the way Broadhurst said she did.
"He said she had a complex and massive skull fracture extending from the front of the skull right the way through to the back of the skull," Ms Latimer said.
"Dr Kelly will tell you that in his many years of experience he has never seen or heard of such a skull fracture resulting from an injury in a child from a simple fall from its own height."
Broadhurst's lawyer Paul Borich said in a brief opening statement that his client had been truthful all along.
"This was a freakish and tragic accident. It is what the accused said on day one to doctors and police and on the video reconstruction," Mr Borich said.
