THIS is the moment a mum accused of battering her son to death told cops he "banged his head" in the bath, a court was told.
Carla Scott, 35, and fiancé Dirk Howell, 41, allegedly subjected Alfie Steele to a "cruel and sinister" campaign of abuse.
The nine-year-old suffered more than 50 injuries before his lifeless body was found in the bath at home in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Bodycam footage has now been played to jurors of sobbing Scott allegedly lying to police after stricken Alfie was found.
She can be heard telling officers: "I think he banged his head when he was in the bath because he's got an [inaudible] on his head."
The mum then phones Howell to tell him Alfie has been taken to hospital but "they won't let me go up there yet".
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She said: "There's loads of police, they've got detectives and everything".
Scott ends the call by telling Howell "I love you too" and making a kissing noise down the phone.
The footage shows Scott in her living room, which has the words "family, where life begins" stencilled on the wall.
Coventry Crown Court was also played a 999 call she made claiming Alfie had "fallen asleep" and drowned in the bath.
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Scott tells the operator she can "feel a rattle" on his chest but says he is not breathing and making "lots of gargling noises".
The mum adds: "He fell asleep in the bath. He's got asthma. When he was a baby he got pneumonia."
Emergency crews found Alfie in a "dark, dirty and dishevelled" bedroom after the horror unfolded on February 18, 2021.
Minutes later, footage played to jurors showed Howell being arrested as he attempted to board a train at Droitwich station.
A cop asks him "What's your name buddy?" before Howell replies: "Dirk Howell, why?"
The officer says: "I need to have a quick chat with you…right ok well, put your hands up for me, so at the moment, you are under arrest on suspicion of attempted murder."
In police body camera footage shown to the court, Howell is heard saying "You what?" after being informed of the arrest and adds: "I'm not running."
After being placed in handcuffs Howell then told officers he hadn't done anything wrong and said it was "disgraceful" he was being accused.
Howell went on to ask if Alfie was alright to which an officer replied they "genuinely didn't know".
Little Alfie was allegedly struck with belts and flip flops in a cruel regime of punishment.
The youngster was also "dunked" in cold water baths and made to stand outside where he had water chucked over him, it is said.
Haunting footage captured Alfie's screams as he repeated "let me in, let me in" after allegedly being locked outside.
He suffered 50 separate injuries across his head, back, legs and buttocks, which eventually caused his death.
Howell has previously admitted child cruelty against other children but denies murder, manslaughter, cruelty or causing or allowing the death of Alfie.
Scott denies murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of Alfie and child cruelty offences against Alfie and other children.
The trial continues.
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