Mother brands boyfriend 'cold-blooded liar' as she denies murdering three-year-old son

Alicia Watson, 30, blamed her former boyfriend Nathaniel Pope for the death of her three-year-old son, who died of massive internal injuries, telling jurors: "I hate him. He is a cold-blooded liar."

Watson's first day of evidence in the witness box revealed she had never been in trouble with the police and social services never complained about her mothering.

When asked if she murdered Kemarni, she said: "No"

And when asked by her defence barrister Charles Sherrard if she had ever intentionally harmed him or caused the massive injuries which led to his death on June 5, 2018, she said: "No never."

Watson and Nathaniel Pope are both accused of murder and child cruelty, which they both deny.

Watson claimed not knowing Kemarni was being hurt but said she had since realised it must have been Pope, 32, who had been hitting Kemarni when police told her about his injuries.

She said: "Pope did it. When I was on the school run. I hate him."

Struggling to keep her composure Watson described her son Kemarni, who died from internal bleeding after massive blunt force injuries akin to a car crash, to the court.

She said: "Kemarni was my beautiful boy. He was always smiling. Always happy. Cheeky, and mischievous. He always wanted to be by me."

Holding back the tears, she said: "I miss him. I loved him so much. He had the most cute dimples. He was always happy and smiling."

Watson was questioned about her drug use after Pope had claimed she used to get "angry" if she ran out of cannabis.

She said: "I like smoking it (cannabis), I know its bad habit but it made me feel good. I smoked it as often as I had it, I would not go longer than a week smoking it.

"It made me feel calm. I would be emotional if I did not have it. I would cry if I did not have it, I would feel overwhelmed, like the whole world was on my shoulders, I would have to do everything."

She said Kemarni's father Darren Darby supplied her with cannabis and she had enough on the day of his death. Watson also claimed to still have feelings for Mr Darby despite living with Pope.

Watson and Pope met on social media in 2017. She found out later that year he was also having sex with her best friend.

Watson said she never asked Pope to move in but once he was there "he never left", but she "didn't mind him there, as it was an extra hand to help".

Despite believing Pope killed her son Watson had never seen him strike the child or lose his temper so did not worry about leaving the two together alone.

Pope, from Wolverhampton, Watson, from Handsworth, both deny murder and child cruelty.

The trial continues.