Baby shake theory in murder case

A mother from Luton killed her 13-week-old son, possibly by shaking him violently, a jury has heard.

Nosheen Arshad, 25, of Beechwood Road, denies murdering Mohamed Zaid, who died in hospital on 1 November 2007.

Luton Crown Court heard a post-mortem examination detected bleeding in his brain, spinal cord and both eyes.

Prosecutor Frances Goldman QC told the jury that evidence suggested Mohamed had suffered a "violent death" rather than illness.

It was initially believed that the baby, known as Zaid, died from sudden heart failure after experiencing breathing difficulties.

But the pathologist's conclusion, derived from the pattern of bleeding, was that the baby had suffered a head injury as a result of shaking, or shaking combined with an impact, Mrs Oldham said.

Awoke crying

The jury was told Ms Arshad and her 32-year-old husband Farruku Querishi moved into a one-bedroom flat in Millfield Road, Luton, in October 2007.

She telephoned her husband at work on 29 October to say the baby was having breathing difficulties.

The baby was found limp and not breathing and was taken to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, then transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where he died.

The pathologist's findings led to Ms Arshad's arrest, the court heard.

During questioning by police, she said she had tried to soothe Zaid when he woke up crying, but that he then started to take deep breaths.

She gave a prepared statement saying she had not harmed her son and declined to answer further questions, the court heard.

A year later, when all the expert evidence had been gathered, she was interviewed again and in another prepared statement said she could not understand the medical evidence.

Ms Arshad also denies the alternative charge of manslaughter.

The trial continues.