A man has gone on trial accused of standing on a seven-month-old baby.
Ricky Davidson is alleged to have assaulted the infant by repeatedly striking him on the head and body.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard yesterday that the child was found hysterical and bleeding from the mouth on August 26 last year after Davidson stormed out of a flat in the city following an argument with the youngster’s mother.
It is also alleged that Davidson strangled the woman – putting her life in danger by placing his arm around her neck on the same day.
Davidson denies the charges against him.
Yesterday, a jury of six men and nine women heard the mother had found a series of injuries on her child in the hours after the argument.
They were on his shoulder, chin, arm and inside his mouth, and he was admitted to the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, where he spent two days and underwent a series of tests.
Giving evidence yesterday, the mum said she had lied to the police about being throttled and said she was just angry with Davidson following their row.
She claimed she phoned the police during the argument in order to “make him pay” for upsetting her.
The court heard that following the argument Davidson stormed out the house.
Minutes later, her child was in “hysterics”, she said.
When asked if she had seen Davidson hurt the baby she said no, but accepted she noticed the child crying seconds after he left.
The court heard that two days later, when she was speaking to Davidson on the phone, he “may have said he might have stood on” the child by accident on his way out.
The jury also heard that the woman had initially been charged with assaulting her own son but that the court case was later dropped.
Defence agent Graham Morrison asked the woman if the child’s injuries could have been self inflicted.
She replied: “He could have done it himself.
“He’s a baby, he puts anything into his mouth.”
Also giving evidence yesterday was 22-year-old Sophie Cameron who claimed she thought she overheard Davidson on the phone.
She told the court she heard a small part of the conversation where he claimed he “might have” stood on the child.
The trial, before Sheriff William Summers, continues.