Man charged with murder of baby boy

STUFF

The baby died in Wellington Hospital.

A man has been charged with the murder of a five-month-old baby boy after the child was badly injured at an Upper Hutt home.

Detective Inspector Grant Wormald said a 31-year-old man was charged following the death of the boy in Wellington Hospital on Tuesday.

The man, who police say knew the baby, is due to appear in Wellington District Court on Wednesday.

Emergency services were initially called to an address in Upper Hutt on Monday where the boy was found with serious head injuries.

Despite surgery the boy died in hospital.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy said the Upper Hutt community would be angry and dismayed about the death.

"They will be saying, 'why, why, why?'.

"It's a blight on our country that these events continually happen."

Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children would not comment on whether it had been notified of the incident and referred all questions to police.

Police are still examining the scene at Upper Hutt.