Tot's murder trial hears she died of a 'brain injury'

A toddler who was allegedly murdered by her own mother died of a brain injury.

Glasgow High Court heard from Paediatric pathologist Dawn Penman, who carried out a post-mortem on 14-month old Inaya Ahmed after she died last April.

She told the jury that Inaya died of a brain injury “in keeping with the scenario of prolonged cardiac arrest”.

Dr Penman said that she was unable to determine the most likely scenario that lead to the injury, whether it was intentional, accidental or through natural diseases.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Sadia Ahmed, 28, who denies murdering her 14-month-old daughter Inaya Ahmed in Drumchapel, Glasgow, on April 17, last year.

Dr Penman said she was given scenarios to consider including choking and suffocation having been told that Inaya choked on a piece of bread.

She said: “What we are saying, that the pathological findings don't allow us to determine which of these scenarios is what's happened, if indeed it was either of these two scenarios.

“There are other possibilities as well.”

The report also said that in summary, Inaya died of a brain injury “in keeping with the scenario of prolonged cardiac arrest”.

She wrote that “ultimately it is not possible” from the pathology findings “to determine whether the most likely scenario is homicidal, accidental or due to natural disease.”

Defence counsel Ian Duguid QC asked Dr Penman about the average size of a child's trachea - part of windpipe - in a child of Inayah's age.

The witness confirmed the dimension that he suggested, about a fifth of an inch.

He put to her that a blockage could be caused by something “as small as” that.

Dr Penman replied that it potentially could.

He put to her: “Presumably something that size, if it occludes the airway, could be coughed up after the point the child has become unconscious, and you're relying on someone being able to spot an item as small as that.”

She replied: “Yes, I don't think we have excluded that, we certainly can't based on pathology.

“We wouldn't expect a child to be coughing once unconscious but certainly there is a potential to dislodge the material.”

Dr Penman confirmed there was no indication that the child was shaken.

Jurors also heard that there was no “bony injuries” and no injuries in Inayah's mouth.

Ahmed denies the charge and the trial continues.