Riley Siswick: Home of toddler death accused 'bugged'

Riley Siswick was found dead in his bed on 6 February 2016

Police bugged the home of a mother and her partner after her three-year-old son died from internal injuries, a court has heard.

Riley Siswick was found dead two days after he was home alone with Kyle Campbell in Huddersfield in 2016, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The following year, hidden equipment was used to monitor the content of arguments between Mr Campbell and Riley's mother Kayleigh Siswick.

Mr Campbell, 27, denies murder.

Ms Siswick, who is also 27 and has since separated from Mr Campbell, denies causing or allowing the death of a child.

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The jury was played a distorted audio clip recorded in April 2017 with Mr Campbell heard asking Ms Siswick if she thought he was "capable of murdering".

"No, no, no. I don't want to keep going over it," she replies.

Later in the recording, Ms Siswick tells Mr Campbell: "If I ever thought you'd done it you wouldn't be here."

The court previously heard Riley suffered a severed duodenum, part of the small intestine, causing peritonitis.

Kayleigh Siswick was questioned about her three-year-old son's health prior to his death

The prosecution alleges Mr Campbell injured him at Smiths Avenue, Marsh, on 4 February, "either from a fist, or by jumping or stamping on him or by striking him with an object".

Responding to questions from her barrister James Hill QC, Ms Siswick said she had been out for about 35 minutes that afternoon, with Mr Campbell looking after her son while she was away.

Riley appeared "pale and tired" in the evening and she thought he may have been "getting a sickness bug", the jury heard.

On 5 February, two separate visitors to the house commented on Riley's health, with Ms Siswick telling the court she had planned to take him to the doctors the following day if he had not improved.

Mr Hill asked: "Did you have any suspicions about Kyle doing anything to Riley?"

"No," she replied.

Following a question asking if she knew of the circumstances of her son's death, she replied: "No, I really want to know what happened to my little boy."

Mr Campbell also denies causing or allowing the death of a child, plus two counts of causing actual bodily harm.

The trial continues.