Mother denies murdering her 14-month old daughter saying she was her world

A mother has denied murdering her 14-month-old daughter and sobbed as she told a jury: “My Inaya was the world to me.''

Sadia Ahmed, 28, from Glasgow, is accused of killing her daughter Inaya by smothering her with a pillow at the family home on Bernisdale Drive, Drumchapel, Glasgow, on April 17, last year.

She denies the charges.

Ahmed claims that she feed Inaya a small piece of toast and she choked on it.

In evidence, she denied that she had confessed to her husband Suleman Ahmed, her mother-in-law Noor Ahmed and her sister-in-law Nadia Ahmed that she killed Inaya

Defence QC Ian Duguid asked Ahmed: “Had you confessed to three people at various different times,” and she replied: “No, that's not true.”

Mr Duguid asked: “Did you tell your husband that you killed Inaya because she was a burden to you,” and she replied: “My Inaya was not a burden to me. I loved her with all my heart and soul.”

She was then asked if she walked downstairs with Inaya in her arms and said: “I've put her to sleep forever.” and replied: “No.”

Ahmed told the jury that she had given Inaya, who was a difficult eater, a small piece of toast with margarine for breakfast and added: “The health visitor had advised me to start giving her solid food.

''I had given her toast before and chapatis, a piece of cucumber and a piece of apple.

She added: ''I was feeding my Inaya toast. I gave it to her.

''I took a bit off and put it in her mouth.

“She tried to reject it. I put cartoons on the telly and she was distracted and opened her mouth.

“As I was feeding my Inaya she started to cough.

''There were tears coming out of her eyes.

''I screamed and I shouted out to my mother-in-law. She was in the bathroom at the time and she come running into the room.

“I said Ma come and have a look at Inaya.

''I was patting Inaya on the back trying to get the piece of bread out. My mother-in-law did the same. Inaya was still coughing at the time.

''All were screaming and shouting.'

The jury was told that Ahmed handed Inaya to her mother-in-law.

Ahmed told the jurors: “She stopped coughing after some time.

''When my mother-in-law had her in her arms she became all floppy.”

The accused said that her brother-in-law Wacas Ahmed phoned for an ambulance and carried out CPR on Inaya whose lips were blue.

Mr Duguid asked Ahmed: “What were your emotions at this time,” and she replied: “Devastated and shocked.”

Ahmed told the court that when she and her husband Suleman were told at the Royal Hospital for Children by doctors that Inaya would not survive she collapsed.

Ahmed said: “After they had spoken to me I was about to leave the room and I collapsed in the doorway.”

The trial before judge Lord Matthews.

• inaya