Holly Roe: Mother of dead baby was 'controlled' by partner

Tiffany Tate denies all the charges against her

A mother accused of killing her eight-week-old baby was constantly being criticised and controlled by her partner, a jury has heard.

Parents Tiffany Tate, 22, and Michael Roe, 33, both deny murder and causing or allowing the death of Holly Roe.

A friend of Ms Tate told Hove Crown Court that Mr Roe had questioned her parenting.

"She was being told she was doing it all wrong," Samantha Warner told the jury.

Paramedics were called to their home in Crowborough, East Sussex, to reports the baby was cold and unresponsive on 10 September 2018.

She never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, Kent, the court heard.

Jurors heard Michael Roe performed CPR on his daughter after calling emergency services

Ms Tate had been "excited but scared" about "being a new mum with a tiny baby", Ms Warner told the court.

The couple's relationship had seemed fine while baby Holly, who was born two months prematurely, was in hospital, she said,

However, when she was discharged Mr Roe had begun "taking control, taking charge", Ms Warner said.

"I felt she wasn't being given the chance to be a mum to Holly properly," she added.

"Tiffany felt she was doing things wrong because Michael was telling her she was doing things wrong," Ms Warner said.

Ms Tate once told her she felt like throwing her daughter against a wall out of frustration when she refused to feed, but had added she "would never do that," Ms Warner said.

A friend of Mr Roe had worried the couple were moving "too fast" when he learnt that Ms Roe was pregnant, the court heard.

"Tiffany was not much more than a child herself, so I was worried about how they would cope," Michael Chapman said in a statement.

Holly had appeared "floppy" and pale the day before she died, Mr Chapman said.

"She didn't look quite right but I put it down to her being premature," he said.

She had suffered head and neck injuries consisted with being shaken, the court has heard.

The trial continues.