Four-year-old found mummified ‘had eaten from his own nappy’

The brother of a four-year-old boy whose body was found

Qaiser Khan, 22, was giving evidence on the third day of the

trial of his mother Amanda Hutton, who denies the

manslaughter of her son Hamzah Khan.

Hamzah’s body was found in a travel cot in his mother’s

bedroom in Sept 2011. He had died 21 months earlier, in Dec

2009.

Yesterday, Mr Khan told a jury at Bradford Crown Court how he

went to the house between Dec 2008 and March 2009.

He said Hamzah slept upright in a urine-soaked buggy that

“stank”.

Mr Khan said his brother was left in a dirty nappy and he

witnessed him eating the contents.

“Hamzah appeared neglected,” Mr Khan said.

He explained to the jury: “I was only at the house for a

couple of days. The buggy smelled so bad of urine I got

disinfectant and cleaned it out.”

Mr Khan was also asked about a text message sent from his

phone to Hutton in Dec 2008.

Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, said the text said: “Watch out

Monday you bitch. I’m going to go to the police station to

report you for child neglect and abuse. Look at Hamzah.”

Mr Khan said he did not remember sending it.

Asked by Stephen Meadowcroft QC, defending, if he was

exaggerating what was happening at the house because he had a

bad relationship with his mother, Mr Khan said: “I’ve seen

this with my own eyes.”

Mr Khan told the court that when he was aged about 13, he was

made to drink “mouldy, off milk” by his mother as punishment.

He said his mother would spend her days drinking. “She would

go upstairs and drink and then I wouldn’t see her for most of

the day,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Khan refused to answer any questions when he

first stepped into the witness box. But after a break he

returned to court to give his evidence.

The prosecution has told the court Hutton starved her son to

death.

The defendant told police her son died after he was taken

ill.