Murder accused mother 'confessed to killing daughter'
The grandmother of a murdered toddler told a jury the girl's mother confessed to killing her.
Noor Ahmed claimed daughter-in-law Sadia Ahmed said she had put 14-month-old Inaya to sleep "forever".
Under cross examination at the High Court in Glasgow, Noor Ahmed dismissed defence accusations that she was lying.
Ms Ahmed, 27, denies murdering her daughter at the family's Glasgow home last April.
When Ian Duguid QC put it to Noor Ahmed, 63, that her daughter never said those words, she replied: "I'm not lying.
"I wouldn't swear on the holy book and lie."
'Baby is not breathing'
The prosecution alleges that Inaya was assaulted by her mother on 17 April 2016 and died in the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow three days later.
The court heard that in police statements given on 17 April and 4 May last year Noor Ahmed did not mention anything about a confession.
In them, she described Ms Ahmed as a good mother and said: "She had Inaya in her arms.
"She wasn't moving and her lips were blue.
"She was saying: 'Baby is not breathing.'
"I said, 'What have you done to her?' and took the baby from her.
"I don't remember if it was me or Sadia or my daughter Shagufta was patting on her back and we were rubbing her feet.
"I was screaming and and I said, 'The baby's not breathing.'
Mr Duguid suggested that was the true version of what happened and Noor Ahmed replied: "No, I lied about that.
"I lied to the police because it was such a traumatic event."
The jury at the High Court in Glasgow heard that on 4 May, 2016 Shagufta Yasmin, who was Inaya's aunt, went to the police and confessed to killing her.
Noor Ahmed told the court: "Shagufta could never do something like that.
"I don't know why she said she had done it."
The QC then asked if, as she said, Ms Ahmed had confessed to her on 17 April, why didn't she tell the police this.
Noor Ahmed responded: "I knew the truth because Sadia said she had killed her."
'Faith in the law'
Mr Duguid then said: "If you were really telling the truth you would have given the police a statement telling them about the alleged confession on May 4, to help Shagufta."
The witness replied: "I have faith in the law.
"If Shagufta had not done something, how could she be punished for it?"
Noor Ahmed told the court that Inaya was a poor eater and had her food mashed up for her.
She added that one of the health visitors had advised the family to give Inaya a piece of toast in her hand, so that she could smell it and perhaps eat it.
Noor Ahmed went on: "Inaya used to hold toast in her hand, but I never saw her putting it in her mouth."
She told the jury that Ms Ahmed was unwell after the birth of Inaya and spent 11 or 12 days in Leverndale Hospital, Glasgow.
The witness added: "I never imagined she would hurt her child."
Mr Duguid also asked Noor Ahmed if it was true she had tried to extort £10,000 from Ms Ahmed's mother.
The court heard that Noor Ahmed and her son Suleman met with Ms Ahmed's mother Sakina Bibi in Glasgow in November or December 2016.
Asked if she was looking for money to change her story, Noor Ahmed replied: "No, this is a lie."
The witness also denied that the women in the Ahmed household were not allowed out unless they were accompanied by her or their husbands.
Prosecutor Paul Kearney asked Noor Ahmed if she had heard Ms Ahmed confessing to killing Inaya and saying, "I've put her to sleep forever."
She replied: "To this very day I hear that voice echoing in my ears."
The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.