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Hamzah Khan mummified body: Officer thought body 'not real' Hamzah Khan death: Mother 'prevented ambulance call'
(35 minutes later)
A detective who found the mummified body of a four-year-old boy has told a court that at first he thought the child was not real. A woman accused of starving her four-year-old son to death told police she stopped her adult son calling for an ambulance after the boy had died.
Det Con Richard Dove was giving evidence at the trial of Amanda Hutton, who denies the manslaughter of her son Hamzah Khan. Amanda Hutton also told police she did not seek medical help when Hamzah Khan refused to eat because she had a fear of doctors and hospitals.
Bradford Crown Court heard Hamzah's remains were found in a cot in his mother's bedroom in Bradford, in 2011. In the interview, played to Bradford Crown Court, she also said she told people after Hamzah's death he had gone to live with relatives.
The jury has heard how he starved to death two years earlier. Ms Hutton, 43, denies manslaughter.
Mr Dove told the court that when he arrived at Ms Hutton's house it was a tip. Hamzah died in 2009 but his remains were not found until 2011.
He said the smell was "like rubbish, mixed with sweat, mixed with urine". Earlier the court heard evidence from Det Con Richard Dove, who discovered Hamzah's mummified body in a cot in his mother's bedroom and said at first he thought the child was not real.
The court heard the officer could not enter the sitting room because rubbish was blocking the door and he could see vodka bottles in the kitchen. He told the court that when he arrived at Ms Hutton's house it was a tip, with a strong smell "like rubbish, mixed with sweat, mixed with urine" and he could not get into the sitting room because rubbish was blocking the door.
'A difficult one'
In Ms Hutton's police interview, she said she was worried Hamzah had been hurting himself and authorities would think she had done it.
During the taped interview with detectives in September 2011 Ms Hutton claimed Hamzah had problems from birth and would bang his head against the wall.
She said: "Progressively he wouldn't eat. I was worried about it.
"He was just a really difficult one. He began losing weight."
Asked why she did not take the child to see a doctor, she said: "I don't know, I'm not a doctors person. I do have a fear of doctors and hospitals."
The court heard that in December 2009 Hamzah got worse. His mother said he was still wearing nappies, could not speak and would communicate in what she described as "babble".
'Completely numb'
Ms Hutton said: "He'd set off screaming and there was nothing you could do to stop him."
She told police she would try feeding Hamzah because he wouldn't feed himself.
Jurors heard that four weeks before he died he lost the power to walk and would lay in his cot.
She recalled that the night before his death, her son said to her "I love you mum. Are you alright mum?" as she stroked his head.
The day her son died Ms Hutton received a phone call from her eldest son Tariq Khan saying Hamzah was seriously ill, the court heard.
She said when she arrived home from shopping Tariq said "look at his eyes" and as she tried to resuscitate him she realised he had died.
"It's like dizziness closing in and out," she told detectives.
"I felt completely numb and as each day passed I found it more and more difficult."
Police asked Ms Hutton why she did not ring for an ambulance. She said: "Because he'd gone I didn't know what to say or do."
She told police she stopped Tariq from ringing an ambulance saying she needed time to think. She later told people Hamzah had gone to live with relatives in Portsmouth.
The court heard Ms Hutton told officers she ordered a takeaway after her son died. She said she continued claiming child benefits in Hamzah's name and began drinking a litre of vodka a day.
'Hand shaking''Hand shaking'
He then went upstairs, where he could see a pile of soiled nappies which had "gone mouldy", the jury heard. Mr Dove told the court he saw vodka bottles in the kitchen and then went upstairs, where he could see a pile of soiled nappies which had "gone mouldy".
On entering Ms Hutton's bedroom, the officer saw two cots and initially did not see Hamzah.On entering Ms Hutton's bedroom, the officer saw two cots and initially did not see Hamzah.
He told jurors he was looking for evidence of child neglect and cruelty. He told jurors was looking for evidence of child neglect and cruelty.
Mr Dove said: "The bedding was all soaked. The place was in such a state. I've never seen anything like it." Mr Dove said: "The bedding was all soaked. The place was in such a state. I've never seen anything like it."
He then briefly left the house, before going back in to begin a search of the cots.He then briefly left the house, before going back in to begin a search of the cots.
The detective told jurors he had to remove clothing, shoes and layers of blankets before finding Hamzah's body.The detective told jurors he had to remove clothing, shoes and layers of blankets before finding Hamzah's body.
He said: " I was shocked, I thought is that real? I didn't expect to find a child." He said: "I was shocked, I thought is that real? I didn't expect to find a child."
Hamzah's body was "mummified" and there were no signs of life, he explained. Hamzah's body was "mummified" and that there were no signs of life, he explained.
Mr Dove said: "My right hand starting shaking, wobbling, I had no control of it, so I grabbed it to calm myself down."Mr Dove said: "My right hand starting shaking, wobbling, I had no control of it, so I grabbed it to calm myself down."
The detective told other officers what he had found.The detective told other officers what he had found.
The jury has heard how Hamzah had died almost two years earlier, in December 2009. The prosecution has told the court Hamzah had starved to death as a result of his mother's neglect.
The prosecution has told the court the boy had starved to death as a result of his mother's neglect.
She denies one charge of manslaughter by gross negligence and claims her child died from natural causes.She denies one charge of manslaughter by gross negligence and claims her child died from natural causes.
The trial continues.The trial continues.