'Baby killer' protests innocence

A mother accused of murdering her lover's 17-month-old son has told a jury she could never hurt a child.

Sumairia Parveen, 24, and Abid Ikram, 30, from Ealing, west London, deny murder and causing Tahla Ikram's death on 6 September 2006.

Ms Parveen said she loved Tahla "as if he was my own". She said: "There was no reason to harm him."

Tahla suffered fractures, bruises and a deep cut on his leg which revealed the tendons, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Welfare concerns

Tahla's alleged abuse was described to jurors at Southwark Crown Court.

Many of his injuries were allegedly ignored for days on end, allowing broken bones to grind together.

A post-mortem found Tahla died from marrow fat deposits in his lungs, caused by broken ribs, which starved his brain of oxygen.

Concern about the child's welfare began six months earlier when police discovered him alone at home.

I considered him as my own child Sumairia Parveen

Tahla was subsequently placed in care, but was returned to Ms Parveen and Mr Ikram's custody shortly before his death.

Ms Parveen told the court neither she nor Mr Ikram, with whom she had since had another child, had ever harmed Tahla.

"I never saw him harm his son... and I definitely did not hurt him either," she said. "I considered him as my own child."

Asked if she had ever twisted his leg, she insisted: "No, no-one could do such a thing to a child."

The trial continues.