Police probe into litter led to grim discovery of boy’s body

PCSO Jodie Worsley had only been working for West Yorkshire Police for a few months when she was sent to look into complaints of litter being thrown from the Bradford house where Amanda Hutton, Hamzah’s mother, lived.

Hutton went on trial at Bradford Crown Court yesterday accused of allowing her son to starve to death in December 2009. She denies manslaughter.

The court heard PCSO Worsley went back to the house a number of times and became concerned when nobody answered the door on several occasions.

Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, said: “Her conscientious and tenacious approach to the situation would have done a seasoned detective credit.”

When Ms Worsley looked through the letterbox “she could see nothing, but the smell from within made her gasp for breath”.

He said dead flies covered the windowsill.

When the PCSO and a colleague eventually convinced Hutton to open the door they “were not persuaded by Amanda Hutton’s claim that all was well”.

“On the contrary,” Mr Greaney said, “they were concerned by Amanda Hutton’s appearance because flies were hovering all around her and by the terrible smell emanating from the house.”

The jury of four women and eight men were shown pictures of the inside of Hutton’s home.

The lounge was filled with rubbish piled so deep the carpet was not visible. The kitchen floor was also covered in various items.

Mr Greaney said Hutton’s bedroom was less cluttered. The travel cot where Hamzah’s body was found was also visible in images shown to the jury.

A consultant paediatrician went to the house after Hutton’s arrest and found it “overwhelming to visit”.

“She discovered that there was a huge amount of rubbish, rotting matter, faeces and empty bottles. She described the smell of the property as offensive almost beyond description.

Detective Constable Richard Dove inspected a travel cot inside the room and, pulling back a duvet, discovered a child’s body.

Mr Greaney told the jury that a police officer said to Hutton “you know what’s been found, don’t you Amanda?” as the defendant was being taken to the police station.

The prosecutor said Hutton replied: “He died two years ago on December 15.”

He said Julie Roberts, a forensic anthropologist, concluded Hamzah’s development “was comparable to a child aged between one year and 18 months”. She described Hamzah’s body as having “extreme stunting of growth”.

Jacqueline Lowdon, a paediatric dietician, concluded that Hamzah had severe faltering growth and stunting of height which could only have occurred over a long-term period of years, rather than months or weeks.

Dr Matthew Lyall, a Home Office pathologist, concluded that it was possible that starvation or dehydration had contributed to Hamzah’s death. He was unable to discount disease being involved in his death.

During interviews with police, Hutton claimed that as Hamzah grew older his behaviour became difficult, said Mr Greaney.

She claimed that over time he stopped eating and drinking and started to lose weight.

She had also acknowledged that she had sought no medical assistance for Hamzah because she wished to manage the problem herself.

Hutton denied that she was guilty of any wrongdoing.

The trial continues.