A WEST Belfast man yesterday denied murdering his three-month-old daughter.
Christopher O'Neill, of Whiterock Road in the city, appeared at Belfast Crown Court for a first arraignment hearing.
The 25-year-old pleaded "not guilty'' when the charge of murdering Caragh Walsh on February 7, 2014 was put to him by the clerk of the court.
He was initially charged with causing her grievous bodily harm but within hours of Mr O'Neill first appearing in court, his daughter died.
The defendant was subsequently accused of manslaughter but in July last year he was charged with her murder after the prosecution ordered a new post mortem report into the baby's death.
Defence barrister Barry Gibson told the court that the case "turned on the evidence of medical experts as to the cause of death''.
He told Mr Justice Treacy that he would have four medical reports for the trial along with a further four medical reports from the prosecution.
The judge fixed the date of the two-week trial for April 18.
