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Hamzah Khan's mother was 'often drunk and tearful' Hamzah Khan's mummified body found after 'vile smell' noticed
(about 1 hour later)
A woman accused of starving her four-year-old son to death smelt of alcohol and was often drunk and tearful, a neighbour has told a jury. The mummified body of a four-year-old boy was found in his mother's bedroom after police noticed a "vile smell of filth" at the house, a court has heard.
Hamzah Khan's mummified body was found in his mother Amanda Hutton's bedroom nearly two years after he had died. PC Jodie Dunsmore said she also saw dead flies on a window ledge after calling at Amanda Hutton's house in Bradford in September 2011.
Christine Latz told Bradford Crown Court Ms Hutton moved to her street in Bradford before Hamzah's death and said she had left an abusive relationship. She told Bradford Crown Court Ms Hutton refused to answer the door for days but eventually did with a "look of fear".
Ms Hutton, 43, denies manslaughter. She claimed Hamzah died of natural causes. Social services were called and Hamzah Khan's body was found later that day.
Asked whether there was any "common feature" she noticed about Hutton, Mrs Latz told the court: "She just smelt of alcohol. She appeared to be drunk quite often, tearful. Ms Hutton, 43, denies manslaughter.
"She told me she'd come out of an abusive relationship to make a fresh start down here." Matted hair
Prosecutors have told the jury that Hamzah died in December 2009 because he was starved to death. His body was found in September 2011. PC Dunsmore, who was a community support officer at the time, said she knew "something was definitely not right" when she called at the house to investigate a neighbour's complaint about rubbish.
She told the jury she knocked on the door again and again, over a number of days, but got no reply.
PC Dunsmore said she became more suspicious when she noticed a large number of flies on the window ledge and a terrible smell coming through the letter box.
She said after at least five visits she and a colleague threatened to kick in the door, despite having no such legal power as community support officers.
PC Dunsmore said at that point Hutton opened the door and looked "dreadful".
"Her hair was all matted and she was looking very unkempt," the officer said.
"She had a woollen jumper on and it appeared flies were coming off her jumper.
"She looked like she was going to throw up. She had a look of fear on her face."
PC Dunsmore said Hutton would not let her in.
Accused 'often drunk'
"There was a vile smell of filth radiating from the door.
"I'd not even got to the end of the path before I'd rung social services."
The jury heard Hamzah was found in a cot in his mother's bedroom later that day, when police officers arrived.
He had been dead for almost two years.
The court previously heard from a neighbour who said Ms Hutton smelt of alcohol and was often drunk and tearful.
Christine Latz told the jury Ms Hutton said she had moved into the house in Bradford after leaving an abusive relationship.
Prosecutors told the jury Hamzah died in December 2009 because he was starved to death.
Ms Hutton has claimed Hamzah died of natural causes.
The trial continues.The trial continues.