Ayeeshia Jane Smith: Toddler 'stamped to death by parents had only eaten packet of crisps, a chocolate biscuit and a yoghurt', court hears

The girl died after a laceration to her heart believed to have been casued by a forceful boot stamp to her chest, jurors were told

Kathryn Smith and Matthew Rigby (pictured) are accused of killing the 21-month-old girl and separately of causing or allowing her death (PA)

A toddler believed to have been stamped to death by her parents had only eaten a packet of crisps, a chocolate biscuit and a yoghurt on the day she died, a court heard.

Kathryn Smith, 23, and Matthew Rigby, 22, are accused of killing the 21-month-old girl and separately of causing or allowing her death. They both deny all charges.

The girl died at her family home in Staffordshire in May 2014, after a laceration to her heart believed to have been casued by a forceful boot stamp to her chest, jurors were previously told.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how Smith told police her daughter had only eaten a packet of Quavers, a chocolate biscuit and a yoghurt by the afternoon of her death on 1 May, 2014.

Kathryn Smith, 23, outside Birmingham Crown Court (PA)

A pathologist told the jury: "Out of 100 children, 98 would be heavier for children of the same age and build."

Detective Sergeant James Brady, who spoke to Smith hours after the child's death at Burton-upon-Trent's Queens Hospital, said: "I was told she had her last meal the night before at Matthew's grandparents' house in Nottingham."

He said Smith told him Ayeeshia had suffered three "over-heating fits" since the start of 2014.

On two of those occasions, an ambulance was called to their home in Brittania Drive, Burton.

Smith also told the officer the girl had to be taken to hospital three weeks prior to the death after she slipped in the bath.

Mr Brady told the court: "Mum had told me that the child had bitten her lip in bath approximately three weeks prior [to the death].

"She had slipped in the bath and consequently she was taken to Queen's Hospital and then sent home."

Matthew Rigby, 22, outside Birmingham Crown Court (PA)

On the day of the child's death, the officer said Smith told him she left Ayeeshia on the potty before going to the kitchen, while Rigby was outside in the garden.

He said: "Mum went to the kitchen to get some juice and returning back then found the child with blue lips and fitting."

When asked by Christopher Hotten, prosecuting, if Smith presented the fits as being similar to those the child suffered previously, the officer replied: "Yes, it was described as the same as before, implying it was the same as the previous fits."

The pathologist who conducted a post-mortem on the girl's body told the court she suffered from "blunt force trauma", with 16 injuries in total, including three broken ribs and both her lungs had haemorrhaged.

Dr Alexander Kolar said: "The colour of these bruises indicate that there had been at least 24 hours between injury and death. More than trivial forces have been used. It is blunt force trauma using reasonable severe force.

"I would expect these sorts of injuries to occur from severe trauma to the chest or torso similar to that of a victim of a road traffic collision or a fall from a height. She had been subjected to a very significant truama to the rear of her body resulting in a fatal chest injury.

"It was non-accidental."

The post-mortem also found the toddler suffered a bleed on the brain in the months prior to her death, linked to an incident in which she was hospitalised after collapsing in February 2014.

Jurors were previously told the toddler was taken into care by social services in May 2013 over concerns for her welfare, but was returned to her mother's care six months before her death.

The trial continues.