Babysitter denies killing child

Suzanne Holdsworth denies murdering the two-year-old

The retrial of a babysitter accused of murdering her neighbour's two-year-old son has begun on Teesside.

Suzanne Holdsworth, 38, is alleged to have banged Kyle Fisher's head against a banister at her then home in Hartlepool in 2004.

The toddler, of Troutpool Close, was taken to hospital with head injuries and died two days later.

Ms Holdsworth now of Boggart Hill Drive, Seacroft, Leeds, denies murder. The case continues.

The jury at Teesside Crown Court was shown photographs of the child's injuries.

Kyle Fisher had suffered a head injury more than a year before he died

Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, said the "unusual bruising" to his scalp matched the banisters in her home.

"This was a significant injury caused by blunt force," he said.

The court was told that Kyle's mother, Clare Fisher, then 19, was intimidated by Ms Holdsworth, who made her tell lies about who was looking after him when he collapsed.

A head injury suffered by the toddler more than a year before he died, had played no part in his death, the prosecution said.

The case is expected to last three weeks.