Boy's grandmother 'was violent'

Kyle Mutch was nine-months-old when he died

A woman blamed by a murder accused for causing her eight-month-old grandson's death had been violent to her own daughter, a murder trial has heard.

Kyle Mutch's mother Karen Mutch said her own mother, Marlane Low, had a violent past.

Mohammad Ullah, 25, denies murdering his stepson in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in January.

He is also accused of trying to bribe his wife with £5,000 to lie in court in connection with the murder charge.

The third day of the trial at the High Court in Forfar heard that Mrs Mutch, 32, had been looking for a new child minder to replace her mother.

Mr Ullah's defence counsel Edgar Prais, QC, asked her if she blamed her mother for the fact she had developed a speech impediment.

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 1630 BST and 2230 BST on 30 January

She replied: "Sort of."

Mr Prais responded: "Did you have a violent upbringing?"

Again she replied: "Sort of."

Mr Prais pressed: "Was your mother violent to you?"

She said: "Yes."

Mr Prais then asked: "So when Mohammad suggested your mother might be responsible for this (Kyle's death) did you think he might be right?"

She said: "I wasn't sure."

Bribery claim

Mr Prais added: "You knew what your mother was capable of?"

She replied: "Yes."

Mr Ullah, 25, has denied assaulting and murdering Kyle Mutch in Turriff.

He has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting a four-year-old boy and trying to pervert the course of justice by phoning his wife while he was on bail.

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

Mrs Mutch had earlier claimed she had received an "aggressive" phone call from Mr Ullah about "bribery" - with the offer of £5,000.

Asked what she was to say, she said: "It isn't him who killed Kyle, it was actually my mum. He wanted me to say that I saw my mum hit Kyle."

The trial continues.