DNA evidence links a man accused of murdering a six-month-old Smethwick baby to a bin liner that the child’s body was found wrapped in, a court has heard.

Troy Simpson was found dead in a culvert of Thimblemill Brook, a few hundred metres away from his Smethwick home just over 12 months ago.

Today, murder trial jurors at Birmingham Crown Court heard that as well as the DNA evidence, soil and pollen samples from the patch of wasteland where baby Troy’s body was found matched samples taken from defendant Sherwain McCoy Smith’s jeans and trainers.

Smith, Troy’s mother’s former partner and previously believed to be the baby’s father, denies murdering the infant.

The 21-year-old, of Arden Road, Smethwick, also pleads not guilty to a charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by denying responsibility for the youngster’s disappearance.

When his body was discovered on February 8 last year – 36 hours after his mother Danielle Simpson and grandmother Theresa Simpson reported his disappearance to police – it was wrapped in a bin bag, placed inside a blue JD sports bag.

Pathologists have been unable to determine whether the youngster died from natural causes or was killed. Prosecutor Mr Philip Parker said DNA evidence showed Smith had handled the bin liner roll from which the bag used to wrap the youngster’s body had come and that the match was accurate to a degree of 1:520,000.

The case continues.