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| Hamzah Khan's father rejects 'wife batterer' claims | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The father of a boy whose body was found "mummified" in his mother's bedroom has rejected claims in court he was a "wife batterer". | |
| Aftab Khan's four-year-old son Hamzah was found in a cot in September 2011, almost two years after he died. | Aftab Khan's four-year-old son Hamzah was found in a cot in September 2011, almost two years after he died. |
| Hamzah's mother, Amanda Hutton, 43, of Bradford, is on trial for manslaughter, which she denies. | Hamzah's mother, Amanda Hutton, 43, of Bradford, is on trial for manslaughter, which she denies. |
| Mr Khan told Bradford Crown Court he had separated from Ms Hutton after he was charged with assaulting her. | Mr Khan told Bradford Crown Court he had separated from Ms Hutton after he was charged with assaulting her. |
| The jury heard he was initially stopped from visiting his former partner due to a court order, but did start to go and see his son when they moved to a new home in Bradford in March 2009. | The jury heard he was initially stopped from visiting his former partner due to a court order, but did start to go and see his son when they moved to a new home in Bradford in March 2009. |
| Prosecutors argue Hamzah Khan was severely malnourished and had starved to death in December 2009. | |
| Mr Khan told the court Ms Hutton was not looking after Hamzah properly. | Mr Khan told the court Ms Hutton was not looking after Hamzah properly. |
| 'Absolutely out of it' | 'Absolutely out of it' |
| "I said 'look at the state of him - you're not looking after him' and she told me to get out," the mechanic and taxi driver said. | "I said 'look at the state of him - you're not looking after him' and she told me to get out," the mechanic and taxi driver said. |
| He told the jury: "She wasn't bathing him. She wasn't changing him." | He told the jury: "She wasn't bathing him. She wasn't changing him." |
| Mr Khan said Ms Hutton drank cider and vodka heavily, especially after the death of her mother. | Mr Khan said Ms Hutton drank cider and vodka heavily, especially after the death of her mother. |
| "She'd be absolutely out of it," he said. | "She'd be absolutely out of it," he said. |
| Mr Khan told the jury he contacted social services once about the condition of Hamzah but said he was ignored. | Mr Khan told the jury he contacted social services once about the condition of Hamzah but said he was ignored. |
| Last week the jury heard details of a police interview Mr Khan gave when he was arrested for attacking Ms Hutton in 2008, in which he said he was going to contact social services about his son. | Last week the jury heard details of a police interview Mr Khan gave when he was arrested for attacking Ms Hutton in 2008, in which he said he was going to contact social services about his son. |
| A senior police officer told the court there was no record he ever made the call. | A senior police officer told the court there was no record he ever made the call. |
| Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, asked Mr Khan whether he did contact social services. | Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, asked Mr Khan whether he did contact social services. |
| He said: "They said it was a private matter. | He said: "They said it was a private matter. |
| "Social services are never bothered about cases like this." | "Social services are never bothered about cases like this." |
| Pressed by Mr Greaney, he added: "I clearly remember. There's no record of it. | Pressed by Mr Greaney, he added: "I clearly remember. There's no record of it. |
| "They weren't bothered, they weren't interested. I'd given up at that time." | "They weren't bothered, they weren't interested. I'd given up at that time." |
| 'The system failed' | |
| Defending Ms Hutton, Stephen Meadowcroft QC told Mr Khan: "You were a wife batterer and she was a battered wife, cowed by your violence." | |
| Mr Khan said: "If I was a wife batterer why am I not standing next to her?" | |
| The barrister put it to Mr Khan that he had been violent towards his client throughout their 20-year relationship, but he denied this. | |
| "I've come here to answer questions about my child," Mr Khan said. | |
| Mr Meadowcroft told him: "You were the father of the family. You were there. | |
| "What did you do about it?" | |
| Mr Khan told the court: "The police wouldn't believe me. No-one would believe me. | |
| "I know I made one phone call. If the police weren't going to believe me, who else is going to believe me? I gave up. | |
| "The system failed my son. Did the school check up? Did social services check up? I lost my total confidence in the system." | |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |