St Neots baby murder trial: Mum says Teddie Mitchell was 'perfect'

Teddie Mitchell died in November 2019, a court heard

A mother on trial following the death of her 12-week-old son called him a "perfect little baby", a court heard.

Prosecutors allege Teddie Mitchell was "subjected to a violent assault" on 1 November 2019 in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, and died 10 days later.

Lucci Smith, 29, told Cambridge Crown Court that her son was "content" and her partner Kane Mitchell, 31, had been "protective" of Teddie.

Mr Mitchell denies murder. Ms Smith denies causing or allowing death.

The jury was told Mr Mitchell was not Teddie's father, but was living with the child's mother.

Giving evidence, Ms Smith said they raised Teddie as if he was Mr Mitchell's son and said her partner "loved Teddie, he was really good with Teddie".

'Volatile' relationship

Prosecutors allege Ms Smith knew of Mr Mitchell's violence and "did nothing to protect her baby from him".

Questioned by her defence barrister Gillian Jones QC, Ms Smith accepted that in the early summer of 2019 the relationship had become "volatile".

She said that at the time she believed the relationship was "good", but looking back "maybe it wasn't so good and he was controlling of me".

Ms Smith said that between 14 and 15 September Mr Mitchell "punched me", giving her a black eye, during an incident where she had bitten him "to get him off me".

After the defence barrister gave the court a history of her client's interactions with healthcare and social workers since Teddie's birth, the accused said at no stage did she think her baby had been injured.

She said: "He was content... had met all his milestones. He was a perfect little baby."

Ms Smith also denies a charge of cruelty to a child, with prosecutors alleging she should have called an ambulance sooner.

Both defendants are jointly charged with causing or allowing serious harm to a child between 16 August 2019, the day Teddie was born, and 31 October.

The trial, which began at the start of December, continues.