Fife murder accused "told mother another boy had killed toddler"

A jury has heard an account of the moment toddler Liam Fee was found dead at a house in Fife.

Rachel Trelfa or Fee, 31, and her civil partner Nyomi Fee, 28, deny murdering Trelfa's two-year-old son in March 2014.

The women also plead not guilty to a catalogue of allegations of wilfully ill-treating and neglecting two other young boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, over a period of more than two years.

The pair are accused of falsely telling others, including police, that one of the other young boys was responsible for Liam's death.

On day two of the trial at the High Court in Livingston, the jury heard evidence from Fee's mother.

Janice Fee, 57, a part-time carer from the north of England, was taken through a statement she gave to police about a phone call she received from her daughter on March 22, the day Liam died.

Advocate Depute Alex Prentice QC read the statement to the court.

It said: She was screaming and very upset, saying Liam's dead, Liam's dead.

I could also hear Rachel screaming. I was in shock and didn't know what was happening.''

Ms Fee said her daughter told her a young boy had told police he had done it'', the court heard.

The statement read to the jury continued: He had said how he did it. She said (the boy) held his nose and held his throat, that he had told the police twice.''

The murder charge alleges that the couple assaulted Liam at a house in Fife on various occasions between March 15 and March 22, 2014.

Trelfa and Fee repeatedly inflicted blunt force trauma to his head and body'' causing injuries so severe that he died on March 22 that year, it is claimed.

Between that date and April 30 2014, the two are said to have taken steps to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution, thereby attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Another charge denied by the women alleges that they assaulted Liam on various occasions between January 2012 and March 2014.

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