A couple accused of inflicting a series of serious injuries to a child have both denied deliberately causing them.

Alex and Gemma Richardson were arrested after multiple injuries that the child had suffered were discovered when they were taken to hospital.

Initially the child was being treated for a suspected broken leg but medics became concerned about their welfare when they were carrying out checks on them, Teesside Crown Court heard.

It was discovered that the child had suffered a fractured skull, a broken collar bone, a spinal injury, and a broken arm before they were treated for a broken leg at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Mrs Richardson fought back tears as she gave evidence in her defence as the trial entered its second week.

The 31-year-old categorically denied causing the injuries or knowing they had been inflicted by her husband telling the jury she was ‘absolutely not’ responsible for them.

Ian West, presenting the witness, asked her whether she did anything that could have accidentally caused any injury to the child.

She said: “The only thing that I can think of was when I was pulling their arm out of their sleeve. If I thought it would have hurt them, I would have stopped.”

The witness said she was not in the room when the child suffered their broken leg and she said she did not believe that her husband had hurt the child deliberately.

However, she did admit she lied when she initially took the child to hospital.

Alex Richardson also denied deliberately inflicting any of the child’s injuries when he gave evidence.

His barrister, Robert Mochrie, took him through the list of injuries and fractures discovered when the child was taken to hospital.

Richardson admitted grabbing the child by the leg but only to stop them from falling and suffering an injury.

Mr Mochrie asked: “When you did that, did you feel anything that was perhaps wrong?”

He replied: “There was a clicking noise as soon as it happened. Their leg went floppy and I wasn't sure what had happened at that point.”

Earlier in the trial, Dr Caren Landes, a consultant paediatric radiologist, told jurors that none of the injuries were consistent with day-to-day activities of a child and showed signs on ‘inflicted’ injuries.

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They heard from the medical expert who confirmed that the leg fracture was consistent with a ‘twisting motion’ and not an impact.

The pair, from Westwood View, Sacriston, County Durham, are both charged with having caused or allowed a child to suffer serious physical harm.

Alex Richardson, 29, is also charged with a section 18 offence - unlawfully and maliciously caused grievous bodily harm to a child with intent to do them grievous bodily harm.

They deny all charges and the trial continues.