Rotorua toddler Nia Glassie could not be saved by the time she was taken to hospital, the High Court at Rotorua has been told.
The three-year-old died on August 3, 2007 from bleeding between her brain and skull.
The toddler's mother Lisa Kuka, her partner Wiremu Curtis, his brother Michael Curtis, his partner Oriwa Kemp and Nia's cousin Michael Pearson are on trial before Justice Judith Potter and a jury of 11 and face charges relating to Nia's death.
Specialist Patrick Kelly, who treated Nia at Starship, told the court by the time she was taken to hospital it was too late to save her.
"Had she been presented a whole lot earlier, we could have avoided a lot of the injuries and possibly death."
Retinal bleeding in the nerves at the back of Nia's eyes was consistent with trauma and the brain injury was most likely not caused by falling off the clothesline on the Wednesday prior to admission to hospital, Mr Kelly told the court.
"If the injury came from the clothesline fall, she would have suffered concussion within an hour."
Nia displayed no symptoms of concussion between Wednesday and Friday evening, the court was told.
Mr Kelly said he was told by Nia's mother, Lisa Kuka, that Nia had acted normally until early Friday evening.
Kuka went away for 30 minutes and when she returned Nia was in bed asleep, she said.
Nia slipped into a coma and did not wake again.
The Crown alleges Nia was kicked in the head that Friday evening sometime between 7pm to 8pm, by Michael and Wiremu Curtis.
