The father of  Hamzah Khan asked police to "keep an eye" on his mother, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Amanda Hutton, 43, denies the manslaughter of her son, whose mummified body was found in a cot almost two years after he died.

Hamzah's body was found in a travel cot in his mother's bedroom in September 2011. He had died 21 months earlier, in December 2009.Earlier, the court heard how Hamzah's father, Aftab Khan, urged police to go and check Hamzah and told officers he was going to report his wife to social services.

The jury of eight men and four women were read a police interview with Aftab Khan conducted in 2008 when he had been arrested for hitting Hutton.

Judge Roger Thomas QC warned the jury to bear in mind the interview took place as Aftab Khan was under suspicion of an assault - an offence to which he later pleaded guilty in court.

In the interview Aftab Khan claimed Hamzah was undernourished and neglected.

He said: "Believe me, I'm going to get in touch with them (social services) because it's gone so far now." Mr Khan told the officers he wanted to take Hamzah to a doctor but Hutton wouldn't let him.

 

He said: "I've told her time and time again there's something wrong with that child - take him to the doctor."

Mr Khan described how he changed Hamzah's nappy after Hutton had left it for a day and a half.

He said his wife's problems were due to her alcohol consumption.

But when Detective inspector Ian Lawrie, of West Yorkshire Police, was asked if Aftab Khan did report his concerns to social services, the officers told the jury: "There's no record I'm aware of of any such referral."

Mr Lawrie said police did go to the house following the interview with Aftab Khan.

He also confirmed police had been called to the house on eight separate occasions in the two and a half years up to 2008.

Evidence has also been given by  Qaiser Khan, 22, Hamzah's brother.

Mr Khan told a jury at Bradford Crown Court how he went to the house between December 2008 and March 2009.

He said Hamzah slept upright in a urine-soaked buggy that "stank".

Mr Khan said his brother was left in a dirty nappy and he witnessed him eating the contents.

"Hamzah appeared neglected," Mr Khan said.

He explained to the jury: "I was only at the house for a couple of days.

The buggy smelled so bad of urine I got disinfectant and cleaned it out."

Asked by Stephen Meadowcroft QC, defending, if he was exaggerating what was happening at the house because he had a bad relationship with his mother, Mr Khan said: "I've seen this with my own eyes."

Earlier, Mr Khan refused to answer any questions when he first stepped into the witness box.

But after a break he returned to court to give his evidence.