A mother told a Norwich Crown Court jury that she saw baby Ruby Spink in Yarmouth with her mother on the day she died and said she thought the child had looked “awful” and noticed a bruise under her eye.

A mother told a Norwich Crown Court jury that she saw baby Ruby Spink in Yarmouth with her mother on the day she died and said she thought the child had looked “awful” and noticed a bruise under her eye.

The court has heard that 11-month-old Ruby was rushed to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston on September 16 last year.

A post-mortem examination showed she was killed by a blow to the head - and she had also suffered broken ribs and fractures to both legs in separate incidents before her death.

Ruby's 18-year-old mum Laura Spink has already admitted neglect but her 17-year-old boyfriend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murder. Instead he claims that Ruby died accidentally after choking on a piece of cake.

However, paramedics found nothing blocking Ruby's airwaves and pathologist Nat Cary confirmed this was not the cause of death.

Giving evidence, Lisa Bowman, who sometimes helped look after Ruby, said she had seen Spink with her mother and Ruby in town and said she thought the baby did not look well.

“She looked awful. She was lifeless and lethargic. She could not be bothered with anything.”

She said Ruby had a bruise under her eye and a pin-prick of blood in her eye. She asked Spink about the injury and Spink told her that Ruby had woken up like it.

The trial continues.