Eli Cox death accused was a 'super dad'

Katherine Cox and Danny Shepherd deny causing or allowing the death of a child

A man accused with his girlfriend of causing the death of a baby boy was a "super dad", a court has heard.

Eli Cox, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, collapsed and later died from brain injuries in April last year. He had also sustained multiple fractures.

His mother Katherine Cox, 33, and her partner Danny Shepherd, 25, have denied causing the five-month-old's death.

In police interview transcripts read to Maidstone Crown Court, Ms Cox said Mr Shepherd would "never hurt" Eli.

She also said she did not know how her son's injuries had been caused.

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In a video interview released by Kent Police, the court was shown how Mr Shepherd demonstrated to detectives how he had carried Eli upstairs shortly before the infant stopped breathing.

He then showed officers how he had tried to resuscitate the baby after Eli suddenly turned blue and started frothing at the mouth.

In further transcripts of police interviews read to the court, Mr Shepherd was shown a photograph of the baby boy with tape over his mouth.

He confirmed the baby was Eli but told detectives he had never seen the image before.

The court heard that during police interviews the couple were also questioned about five packets of amphetamines found in their garden shed.

They both said that they did not know how they had got there, and Mr Shepherd said he did not take drugs.

Detectives later put to Mr Shepherd that a blood sample taken from him in the hours after Eli collapsed had come back positive for drugs.

The court heard how he was asked by police if he had lost his temper while under the influence of drugs.

Mr Shepherd replied: "No, no comment."

The trial continues.