Mother accused of murdering baby says it was a 'tragic accident'

A mother accused of murdering her three-week-old daughter has insisted she would never harm her - and claimed the baby died following a "tragic accident".

Nicole Blain, 30, told a court she had taken a nap, and woke to find Thea Wilson lying on the floor beside her crib at her Greenock flat in July 2023.

The trial at the High Court in Glasgow has previously heard from a witness that Blain had blamed another child for the baby's death, but giving evidence herself, she said she did not know exactly how Thea had been injured.

Prosecutors allege that she murdered Thea by shaking her and inflicting blunt force injuries on the newborn - which she denies.

Blain told the court Thea had been in sleeping in her crib when she went to take a nap herself, but was woken when a neighbour came to the door.

She said she went to find Thea lying on the floor, without the nappy she had been wearing or the blanket that had been covering her.

The jury previously heard evidence from Thea's paternal grandmother that Blain had told her that another child who had been in the flat had "done it".

But during her evidence to the court, Blain said she did "did not know what happened" to cause the baby's injuries.

The trial previously heard that Thea died in hospital with two broken ribs and three skull fractures consistent with being hit against a hard surface as well as other injuries that could indicate she had been shaken.

Blain said "never in a million years" would she harm her baby and denied she would "throw [the other child] under the bus" by shifting the blame.

"I can remember the trauma of finding my daughter. I will never get it out of my head. My baby died in my arms," she said.

Advocate depute Alan Cameron put it to her that it was "just nonsense" to suggest another child caused such injuries.

He alleged that Blain had hurt that baby, then realised she was in a "lot of trouble".

Blain denied this, adding: "In my eyes, (the other child) did not kill Thea. What happened to Thea was a tragic accident.

"The only thing to blame was me being asleep and that is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life."

The trial, before Lord Scott, continues.