PC recalls smell of baby’s body

A POLICE officer has told a court of the “God-awful smell” when he entered the house of a dead child.

PC Dillon Pooley, 33, gave evidence at the trial of Kimberley Hainey, who is accused of murdering her baby son, Declan.

He told the High Court in Glasgow he and his colleague were called to an address in Bruce Road, Paisley on 30 March, last year, after a dead child was found in the house. He said when he got out of the police car at the property he was met by Hainey’s mother, Elizabeth Rodden, who was “crying uncontrollably”.

Advocate depute Andrew Stewart, QC, prosecuting, asked: “Did you notice anything when you went in?” PC Pooley replied: “A God-awful smell.”

“I noticed he had been dead for some time and his body was quite badly decomposed.”

Hainey, 37, is accused of assaulting, wilfully ill-treating and neglecting Declan over a 19-month period between September, 2008 and March last year.

The Crown has made an alternate charge of neglect, whereby Declan’s physical and psychological development were impaired. It alleges Hainey pretended Declan was alive in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.

Hainey denies all the charges. The trial continues.