Mum blames partner for the death of her eight-year-old daughter

A mother who is accused of murdering her eight-year-old daughter has blamed her death on her lover Kiki Muddar.

35-year-old Polly Chowdury says her 43-year-old partner Kiki put eight-year-old Ayesha into a cold bath as punishment for wetting herself.

According to Polly, Kiki then informed her that Ayesha had drowned.

A pathologist told The Old Bailey court that a postmortem examination of Ayesha's body in 2013 indicated that the cause of death was a head injury, but there were a few hours between the injury being inflicted and the child's passing.

Police officers testified that Ayesha's mother had admitted to hitting her daughter and the court also heard a phone call in which Kiki Muddar threatened to kill Ayesha, saying she would "drown that witch."

Both women deny murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child.