Epping child abuse case heads to trial Police say toddler suffered permanent vision damage at hands of woman

BRENTWOOD - An Epping woman accused of repeatedly beating an 18-month-old child with the force of a high-speed car crash is scheduled to begin trial Monday in Rockingham Superior Court.

Jami Castine, 28, of 97A Jenness Road, faces 17 charges, including five first-degree assault charges, for the crimes that allegedly occurred in March and April 2016. Police allege Castine assaulted the child on numerous occasions while she was caring for him at her home, and selling drugs while children were present in her home.

According to police affidavits, the investigation began April 8, 2016, when police, along with EMTs, were dispatched to the Castine home to investigate a report of a 3-year-old child seizing and becoming unconscious.

Police found the child was actually 18-months-old, and on the ambulance ride saw he had bruising on both sides of his forehead and swelling above his ear, according to the affidavit. At Exeter Hospital, a brain abnormality was discovered and the child was eventually brought to Boston Children's Hospital because of the severity of his injuries.

Doctors at Boston Children's found the child had bleeding on both sides of the brain, as well as two partially-detached retinas. According to police, the child is expected to have permanent vision impairment.

The day after the ambulance call, Castine was interviewed by police, telling them that in addition to her three children, she had been watching her friend's children since March. Castine told police any injury to the hospitalized child's head was likely caused by his older sibling pushing him down.

However, that same day, doctors at Boston Children's told police the child's injuries were likely caused by abuse, comparing the force of the injuries to falling out of a second-floor window onto concrete or being involved in a car crash while driving more than 80 mph.

Castine's father, Timothy Castine, with whom she was living with at the time, was also arrested for allegedly falsifying evidence.

Police claimed he deleted a cellphone video taken by a witness that showed Castine abusing the child.

A friend of Castine later told police that on April 8 she witnessed Castine kicking her friend's child in the back of the legs, making him fall over, and recorded the incident on her cellphone. Castine's father allegedly took the phone from her after learning about the recording and deleted the video. According to published reports, prosecutors dropped the charges against Timothy Castine.

Castine also faces a recent indictment of witness tampering, alleging she tampered with a witness in the abuse case.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 29 in Rockingham Superior Court.