Kemarni Watson-Darby: On-trial mum 'blames boisterous' boy for wounds

Alicia Watson and Nathaniel Pope are charged with murdering Kemarni Watson

A woman accused of murdering her three-year-old son told police she came home to find him struggling to breathe before he died, her murder trial heard.

Kemarni Watson-Darby died on 5 June 2018 from severe abdominal injuries.

Alicia Watson, 30, of Radnor Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, told her trial on Tuesday she was not the cause.

In police transcripts read in court, Ms Watson linked the wounds to Kemarni being a "boisterous boy" who was "always running into things".

She is on trial alongside Nathaniel Pope, 31, of Evans Street, Wolverhampton, whom the court had been told was her partner. Each deny murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and charges of child cruelty.

The trial at Birmingham Crown Court had previously heard from a forensic pathologist who said Kemarni's injuries were likely caused by the sort of "heavy blows" normally seen in a road collision or a fall from a height.

'Marks all over'

The jury on Tuesday was told that on being shown photos of her son's injuries, Ms Watson had said: "He's got marks all over his body, but like I said he was a boisterous boy."

She said he had run into a door and fallen down the stairs and "ran around like a headless chicken".

The trial heard that Ms Watson told the police some marks on Kemarni's body had been there "for some time" and in a statement later given to officers she "categorically denied using unreasonable force" and said she only slapped him "lightly on the hands and bottom" when he misbehaved.

'Eyes half open'

The jury also heard police transcripts in which she said she had returned home before her son died to find him lying on a chair, struggling to breathe, with his eyes half open.

Ms Watson said that inside the property was Pope, with whom she said she was not in a relationship, and that he had attempted to resuscitate her son, causing him to bring up vomit.

She said Kemarni had been sick previously and had been unwilling to eat, but not enough to make her concerned, adding the only medicine she had given him was Calpol and Tixylix, both within the recommended dosage.

She added Mr Pope had never done anything to cause concern, saying: "He would not be in my yard if I thought there was a problem."

The three-year-old was taken to hospital and put on a machine to keep his breathing going, but Ms Watson said doctors told her it would have to be turned off, once it became clear he was unable to breathe by himself.

"I got to hold him and I spoke to him and the family members came in and said their goodbyes," she said.

The trial is due to continue into the new year.