PC tells Glasgow murder trial accused said tot choked on bread

A police officer told a murder trial that the mother of tragic tot Inaya Ahmed claimed her daughter choked on a piece of bread.

Constable Ryan Bird was giving evidence at the trial of Sadia Ahmed, 27, from Glasgow, who denies murdering her 14-month-old daughter at 47 Bernisdale Drive, Glasgow, on April 17, last year.

Constable Bird told the High Court in Glasgow that as he arrived at the house paramedics came running out the house carrying Inaya.

Prosecutor Paul Kearney asked Constable Bird: “You could hear shouting and screaming coming from inside the house, is that correct,” and he replied: “Yes. Some of it was in English, but a lot was I think in Urdu.'

The officer told jurors that there were at least six to eight people in the house and the mother Ahmed was pointed out to him.

Constable Bird said he spoke to her in the kitchen and initially got no response.

Mr Kearney asked: “What was her demeanour,” and Constable Bird replied: “Not much emotion at all.”

The prosecutor then asked: “Was there any sign of tears or distress,” and the policeman said: 'No.”

He added: “She said along the lines of the baby has an eating disorder and she was trying to feed the baby. They usually feed her with syringes, however that day she tried to feed the baby bread but it wasn't eaten so she stuffed the bread down the baby's throat..”

Mr Kearney asked: “Were these the words she used,” and Constable Bird replied: “Roughly yes.”

The prosecutor then asked what her demeanour was like as she said this and the officer told the jury: “There wasn't a lot of change. It was hard to detect any emotion. She looked down and wouldn't look me in the eyes.”

Constable Bird told the court that Ahmed said she had been feeding the toddler in her mother-in-law's bedroom which doubled as a prayer room.

He said he had searched the room to see if their was any bread lying about, but had not even found a crumb.

Earlier the court heard that Ahmed's sister-in-law Shagufta had confessed to police that she had killed Inaya, but she was never charged with any offence.

When asked by defence QC Ian Duguid what he had noted in his notebook of the conversation with Ahmed, Constable Bird replied: “She said 'Feeding Inaya bread started choking. Hit on back, didn't work, Inaya passed out.'"

The officer said that Ahmed then told him her brother-in-law Wacas Ahmed had dialled 999.

Sergeant Kenneth Graham told the court that he arrived at the house in Drumchapel after the ambulance taking Inaya to hospital had left.

He said he spoke to Ahmed and she told him: “I was feeding her and she started choking.'

Sgt Graham added: “What struck me was how calm and collected she was. It was in stark contrast to other family members present.”

He told the jury that while he was in the house Inaya's father Suleman Ahmed arrived. Sgt Graham described him as 'physically shaking.'

The policeman said that Ahmed never asked how her daughter was, but the child's father did.

Paramedic Islay McKee told of how she and her colleagues battled to save Inaya in the back of the ambulance before taking her to hospital.

She told the court she went into the room in the house where Inaya was and added: “There was a double bed at the window and the child was lying in the bed in the middle of it.”

Prosecutor Mr Kearney asked: “Was there anyone beside the child,” and Ms McKee replied: “No.”

She said Inaya was wearing a white babygro and a cardigan with a flower on it. Ms McKee told the jurors there were no stains or vomit on the clothing.

The paramedic said the child had no pulse and they performed CPR on her. She said her airways were clear and at one point in the ambulance she vomited.

Ms McKee added: “It appeared like thick milk. There were no chunks. It was a thick liquid.''

Ahmed denies all the charges against her.

The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.