Kaylee-Jayde Priest: Three-year-old 'already dead' before mother dialled 999

Kaylee-Jayde Priest was found dead at the flat where she lived with her mother in August last year

A three-year-old girl was dead before emergency services were called to help her, a court has heard.

Kaylee-Jayde Priest was found at her mother's Solihull flat in August and pronounced dead at the scene.

Her mother Nicola Priest, 22, and Callum Redfern, 21, who Ms Priest was in a relationship with, deny murder.

Birmingham Crown Court heard Kaylee-Jayde died from chest and abdominal injuries and had previously suffered broken ribs, sternum and legs.

Mr Redfern, of Temple Street, Dudley, and Ms Priest, of Poplar Avenue, Edgbaston, in Birmingham, who prosecutors said were in a "close sexual relationship" also face a separate alternative charge of manslaughter.

The court heard claims Ms Priest would hit Kaylee-Jayde around the head and refer to her as a "brat". The girl had also been heard crying "in a fearful tone".

On one occasion, neighbours recalled hearing a bang and then Kaylee-Jayde crying, before allegedly hearing Ms Priest say: "I'll just say she fell off the bed."

Nicola Priest and Callum Redfern deny murdering the three-year-old at the Stonebridge Crescent flat

Opening the case for the prosecution, Andrew Smith QC told jurors the girl's death was caused by serious injuries during a "sustained assault" when both of the defendants were alone with the child.

"At 11.11am on August 9 2020, Nicola Priest dialled 999 to summon an ambulance to her home address in Kingshurst [Solihull] to treat her daughter.

"Kaylee-Jayde Priest, her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, was dead before the call was made," he said.

He also told the court on the evening before her death neighbours overheard an incident where the three-year-old was put to bed after being sick.

On that evening, Mr Redfern and a male friend went to Ms Priest's third-floor flat with a bottle of vodka. While there, Mr Redfern smoked cannabis and put Kaylee-Jayde to bed with Ms Priest.

Some minutes later, Mr Redfern's friend heard Kaylee-Jayde "whinging" saying she wanted to continue playing.

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As Kaylee-Jayde's cries continued, Ms Priest's bedroom door was heard to open and shut, he said.

"About 10 minutes after, he heard Mr Redfern shout 'Kaylee's been sick, Nicky, let's get her in the bath'."

Mr Smith said: "He heard no more crying after Kaylee had been put back to bed."

Jurors heard of several messages sent between Ms Priest and Mr Redfern showing an "uncaring attitude" from them both towards Kaylee-Jayde.

They also heard neighbours saying they had heard Ms Priest shouting at the child and from family friends saying they had seen Ms Priest strike Kaylee-Jayde or seen her with a bruise.

The pair also deny causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child between 12 June and 3 August 2020.

The trial continues.