Baby stepson murder trial opens

Kyle Mutch was nine-months-old when he died

The trial has begun of a man accused of murdering his nine-month-old stepson at a house in Aberdeenshire in January.

At the High Court in Forfar, Mohammad Ullah, 25, denied assaulting and murdering Kyle Mutch in Turriff.

He has also denied assaulting a four-year-old boy and trying to pervert the course of justice by phoning his wife Karen Mutch while he was on bail.

He is alleged to have offered her £5000 to testify falsely that she had seen another woman assaulting Kyle.

Mr Ullah, described as a prisoner in Aberdeen, has lodged two special defences, one of incrimination, the other of alibi.

THE CHARGES Mohammad Ullah denies striking Kyle Mutch on the body and murdering him on 30 or 31 January He denies assaulting a four-year-old boy on 29 January He denies attempting to pervert the course of justice He has lodged two special defences The first is that if there was a murder, it was committed by Marlane Low The second is one of alibi, claiming he was at the Cafe Shomi in Turriff between 4.30pm and 10.30pm on 30 January

The jury of eight men and seven women was shown photographs of the dead baby lying under a tea towel after it was discovered by police on the floor of a house in Turriff.

Advocate depute Mark Stewart, prosecuting, warned: "There are certain photographs that the ladies and gentlemen (of the jury) may find distressing."

The pictures, taken a by member of the Grampian Police identification bureau, showed markings on the chest and torso of the body.

Proceedings moved more slowly than usual after Mr Ullah was provided with an interpreter to give him a full understanding of what was being said in court.

The trial, before Lord Carloway, continues on Thursday and is expected to last a week.