Court told of accused's question

Kyle Mutch died in January

A man accused of murdering his eight-month-old stepson asked: "If I have done this, what would I get?", the High Court in Forfar has been told.

Pc Colin Begg was giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of Mohammad Ullah, who denies murdering Kyle Mutch.

Pc Begg was with Mr Ullah for many hours as Kyle was given medical treatment, during which time he asked the question, the court heard.

Mr Ullah, 25, is accused of murdering the child in Turriff in January.

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

He is alleged to have offered her £5,000 to testify falsely that she had seen another woman assaulting Kyle.

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

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

Pc Begg said a doctor was carrying out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Kyle, whose step-father was very agitated.

The accused was taken to a police station for his own comfort and was not being questioned.

The officer made notes after he had finished having a conversation with him.

"Mr Ullah was sitting very quietly and his head was on the desk," he said.

"He looked up at me and said 'If I have done this, what would I get?' That's exactly what he said.

"I asked what he meant. He looked at me and looked away. He didn't answer."

Under cross-examination, defence counsel Edgar Prais said the officer's notebook recorded the wording as: "If I am guilty, what would I get?"

The trial continues.