Maya Chappell: Relative of girl 'planned to phone social services', murder trial told

A relative of a two-year-old girl who died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries had planned to raise concerns about her care with social services, a court has heard.

Maya Chappell, from County Durham, died last September, two days after being taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) with injuries.

Michael Daymond is charged with her murder and child cruelty. Maya's mother Dana Carr is accused of child cruelty by neglecting the two-year-old and allowing the death of her child.

They both deny the charges.

On Thursday 26 October, Teesside Crown Court heard from relatives who said they had seen bruising on Maya's body in the month before her death.

Maxine Shorton, Dana Carr's great aunt, told jurors she had noticed a bruise on her cheek in September last year when Maya had visited with her step-grandad, Christopher Fellows.

Mr Fellows, who is Mrs Shorton's brother, had called Maya's mother to ask about the bruise. During the call, Mrs Shorton told the court she heard Daymond shouting in the background "it wasn't me, it wasn't me".

Mrs Shorton testified her brother had also discovered another bruise on Maya's body during bath time.

Ben Nolan KC, prosecuting, asked her if she was concerned about it.

She replied: "Very much so, it concerned me a lot."

Mrs Shorton, whose husband had just died, told the court she had decided to call social services.

However, just 48 hours later Maya was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and died days later.

Daymond's mother Claire Snaith also gave evidence on Thursday.

She told the court the toddler lived in a neat and tidy house in Shotton Colliery, County Durham.

During questioning, Ms Snaith told the court that Maya had some bruising two to three weeks before her death - but said Daymond and Carr told her Maya was bumping into furniture around the house.

When asked by Nicholas Lumley KC, who is defending Daymond, whether she had concerns about Maya being with her son, she replied: "No, none at all".

On Tuesday, the court heard Maya had died as a result of a "constellation of injuries" which were allegedly inflicted by Drummond.

He denies her murder. Carr denies child cruelty by neglect and allowing the death of her child.

The trial continues.

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