A RELATIVE of an eight-week old baby boy has recalled how she visited the family home hours before he was stabbed, but saw nothing that gave her cause for concern.
The woman - a niece of the infant's father - was called to give evidence at a murder trial currently being held at Belfast Crown Court.
Emergency services were called to an address in the city at around 8pm on July 27, 2021 following reports of a knife attack. Upon arrival, they discovered two wounded children and the children's mother, who had self-inflicted wounds to her neck.
The youngsters were rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital and whilst the baby boy died, his two-year old sister was successfully treated for a stab wound to her chest.
Their mother was also treated for her wounds and subsequently charged with murdering her son and attempting to murder her daughter.
The 30-year-old accepts she stabbed the youngsters, but has denied the two charges. The jury is being asked to consider her state of mind at the time and whether or not there was 'diminished responsibility'.
On the fifth day of the hearing, the witness was called to give evidence and confirmed she visited the house at around 4pm on the day of the fatal stabbing.
Under questioning from Crown prosecutor Richard Weir LC, the Belfast woman said she was aware of a domestic incident on July 24, 2021 involving her uncle and the accused.
As a result of an alleged assault that day, the children's father was arrested then released - but part of his bail conditions banned him from going back to the family home.
His niece said when she called at the house on July 27, the accused and both children were at home.
She said the baby was sleeping and his sister started playing with her daughter.
When asked how the accused seemed that afternoon, the woman said the defendant seemed "fed up and frustrated" over paperwork she needed to obtain to take the two children on holiday.
She recalled the accused "crying" following a call made on her mobile.
The witness said she told the accused she would help her get the paperwork, stayed for around an hour and as she was leaving the baby was still sleeping and the girl was "happy, playing away".
She told the court that when as she was leaving "everything just seemed normal" and she told the accused that her uncle "wants the happy family and he loves his kids to bits."
She also said: "I saw nothing that would have given me any concern she (the accused) would have harmed the kids".
Prior to the witness being called, an agreed set of facts concerning the children's father were read to the jury which stated he would not be called as a witness as he is 'medically unwell'.
The facts stated he was 52 and met the accused in 2018.
Also set out was his criminal record which consists of 54 previous offences which include a sentence for rape in 1987, assaulting an American tourist in 2013 and multiple attacks on several previous female partners.
The facts also set out a history of alcohol and drug use as well as aggressive and violent behaviour.
His phone also contained 400 pages of text files and searches related to escorts and prostitutes over a period from April to July 2021.
Other messages show his involvement with drugs, while it emerged that police 'hold information' that he 'delivered cocaine' to Benidorm and Walsall, and that he 'is believed to have access to a firearm which may be kept at his home address.'
At hearing.
