Alfie Phillips murder trial: Friend warned mum over toddler's bruises

A friend of the mother of a toddler who died with 70 injuries advised her to take him to the doctors after spotting cuts and bruises, a jury was told.

Alfie Phillips died on 28 November 2020 with multiple bruises and fractures, Maidstone Crown Court has heard.

Alfie's mother Sian Hedges, 27, and Jack Benham, 35, deny murdering the boy in a caravan in Kent.

Zoe Tritton told the court Alfie had had a "a purple bruise on his ear" and a bump on his head.

Ms Hedges, of Yelverton, Devon, and Mr Benham are accused of killing Alfie overnight during lockdown in Benham's caravan in Hernhill, near Faversham.

The boy died with signs of smothering and traces of cocaine in his body.

Ms Tritton told the jury she wasn't sure if she had seen the bruises a few weeks or a few months before Alfie died.

Ms Tritton, appearing via a video link, said: "[Alfie] ran into the doorframe. He didn't cry. I said 'oh, silly, clumsy' and that is when Sian said 'yeah, he is a bit clumsy'."

She told the court that the next time she saw Alfie after the accident he had a lump on his head.

"I said about getting it checked, and also I did notice another couple of bruises on him and I think I said [to Ms Hedges] there could be an underlying problem if he bruises easily."

The jury heard Miss Tritton also noticed Alfie had a cut under his eye.

She said: "That is when I said to her, have you taken him to the doctors?"

On Wednesday, the court was told by Mr Benham's mother, Joan Benham, that she had seen her son carrying Alfie from the caravan in her garden on the morning after he died.

Mr Benham had said to her, "Mum, do something. He's not breathing. Mum do something," she said.

Describing Alfie, his grandmother said: "His lips were a little bit blue, his arm was up and he had some bruising, but different bruising, I could see on his face."

She told the jury she had remembered Ms Hedges "wasn't very stable" and was shouting "what are they doing?" when the paramedics arrived.

Asked about Alfie's older injuries, Ms Benham said of her grandson: "He was a typical 18-month little boy running around. He would fall over, trip over, roll over. He was always having a little bump."

Ms Benham, who is a nursery worker, added: "[I] never ever had any concerns about Alfie.

"[I] never ever saw anything to be worried about."

The trial continues.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].