Teen Accused Of 'Beating Toddler To Death'

A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court today accused of beating a toddler to death.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering two-year-old Demi Mahon on 17 July last year.

The toddler was discovered with serious head injuries at an address in Liverpool Road, Salford. She was taken to Hope Hospital and died two days later, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Demi's mother Ann Marie McDonald, sobbed as she gave evidence on the first day of the boy's trial.

She told the jury of six men and six women she had left her daughter with the defendant at the house in Eccles, Salford, for around 90 minutes while she went to collect her child benefit and buy a birthday card.

Ms McDonald said when she returned the youth was standing outside the house with a man, adding the 15-year-old said: "I picked her up - I might have hurt her - and she fell in the park."

She told the court she then rushed into the house to discover her child in bed, with bedclothes partially covering her face.

Ms McDonald - also known as Sindy - said Demi could not breathe properly and when she picked her up from a bed her head flopped back, as she tried to wake her up.

"I screamed 'Why haven't you rung an ambulance?' He said 'I never done nothing, I've not done nothing'," she told the court.

Prosecutor Howard Bentham QC said when the two-year-old's body was examined by pathologist Dr Naomi Carter, she found 68 injuries.

"We say every one of those injuries were caused by this young man. They were all over her body but many of them were to her head and face and Dr Carter drew the conclusion that young Demi had probably been punched repeatedly in the face," Mr Bentham said.

Mr Bentham told the jury that the defence will argue that their client suffered an abnormality of mind which impaired his responsibility.

The trial continues.

(JM/BMcc)