The mother of Alfie Phillips has told of the moment she wanted to die after finding him "floppy and blue".

Sian Hedges, 27, and her then partner Jack Benham, 35, are accused of subjecting 18-month-old Alfie to a sustained and fatal assault in a caravan they shared in Hernhill in November 2020.

They both deny murdering the youngster, who had 70 visible injuries and broken bones at the time of his death.

At Maidstone Crown Court today, Hedges wept as she told the murder jury about the day her son died: "My whole life had come crashing down.

“I just wanted to die and part of me did die that day. At that time I thought Alfie's death was an accident."

But when she was shown by police details of Alfie's injuries she called her mother.

She said: “I was screaming down the phone to her that Jack had murdered my son."

Hedges, a former barmaid, admitted she later lied to police about her and Benham's drug use the night before Alfie died, as well as going to buy cocaine.

She said: “Everyone knows you shouldn't do drugs with a child (nearby) but some people do.

“I lied because I didn't want it to seem worse than it already was."

The jury was previously told Hedges was living with her son and new boyfriend in a caravan in the back garden of Benham’s parents’ home in Hernhill.

On the evening of Friday, November 27, 2020, she and Benham were in his parents’ house with Alfie, where the toddler was said to have been looking well and without visible injuries by several of Benham’s relatives.

The youngster was taken back to the caravan at 7pm and was not seen again by anyone other than Benham and Hedges until about 11.30am the following morning.

It was during these hours it is alleged Alfie was murdered.

The court was told that shortly before 11.30am on the Saturday, Benham came to the main house with Alfie in his arms. The toddler was described as “blue and floppy” and was not breathing.

Benham’s mother, Joan Benham, started performing CPR in the living room and his father, Mark Benham, called 999.

Paramedics arrived within 10 minutes but it was immediately apparent to them Alfie had been “dead for some time”, the trial was told.

Mrs Benham noticed a number of bruises to Alfie’s face she said had not been there the night before.

Benham came into the living room and told paramedics Alfie had been grumpy the night before so they took him into bed with them - and when they woke Alfie was trapped under Benham’s legs and they could not wake him.

Alfie was taken to the QEQM and pronounced dead at 12.35pm.

Recalling the morning he died, Hedges told Maidstone Crown Court she remembered Alfie's head being on a pillow and his hands above his head.

She said: "I then went back to sleep and Jack woke me up later screaming that Alfie was under his leg.

“I jumped out of bed and was frozen with shock but I did not see Alfie under his leg.

"Alfie was blue and was really floppy. He had a red mark under his eye. He didn't have that mark at 7am."

At the hospital, she saw her son's bruised face, adding: "I couldn't understand it. I was frozen in shock. I didn't know what to do. I called my mum.

"I said I thought he was dead. I could feel it."

After being arrested at the hospital, she added: "My whole life had come crashing down. I just wanted to die and part of me did die that day."

The prosecution has alleged the two are responsible for the injuries which led to Alfie's death.

She replied "no" and she denied covering up for her lover.

"Alfie was absolutely everything to me. The day he was born was the best day of my life.

“He was everything I ever imagined. He was so cheeky and he brought so much joy and love.

"The day he died a part of me died and I will never ever, ever come to terms with what happened to my son."

Hedges also denied biting her baby but admitted "nibbling" him.

She told the jury: "It made him laugh, which made me laugh. I loved hearing him laugh. I used to do it every day.

"I noticed he had a bruise on his big toe but I had no idea where it came from. There was a bruise on his bum and a little bruise under his armpit. I have no idea where they came from.

"At 7pm, I went into the bathroom and sniffed a line of cocaine. Jack made me a drink but it was too strong so I topped it with coke."

Hedges told the jury how she snorted five or six lines of cocaine "which was normal for me for a Friday night".

She said that she and Benham then watched TV drinking three or four drinks of whisky, "not a lot really", she added.

She began weeping as she remembered Alfie was sleeping as they took cocaine.

Later Hedges rang her dealer in order to get more drugs, and left the caravan to get them, but came home empty handed.

She said: "It wasn't the best thing to leave your child with someone wanting drugs. I hold my hands up..it wasn't the right thing to do.

"I got back and asked how Alfie was and he told me he was a bit whingy but had gone back to sleep."

She claimed she checked on the baby but never saw any injuries and fell asleep.

"The next I remember was being woken up by Jack climbing over me to let the dog in. The dog jumped up.

"Jack said Alfie had been up, had a bottle and gone back to bed. I have always questioned the truth in that because if Alfie was up he would have woken me up.

"I let the dog out and I remember seeing his dummy. It wasn't in his mouth..so I rubbed it along his lips but he didn't take it.

"I don't recall seeing Alfie's face. I just thought he was asleep and I went back to sleep," she claimed.

The jury has heard how the baby was found with a bite mark on his back after he died.

Hedges said: "No, I didn't bite him. I never saw any injuries on the night (of his death). I wasn't aware that Jack bit him.

"I had endless patience when it came to Alfie. I wasn't the kind of mum that could leave her child crying."

She was asked what she felt about forensic evidence which revealed the baby had been exposed to drugs.

She replied: "I am not happy about it. It's me that's to blame."

Hedges said she was taking cocaine "at least twice a week".

She told the jury how she received £1,000 a month for benefits not including housing benefit. She spent £80 a week for cocaine.

Earlier in the trial, Benham told the jury Hedges must have killed Alfie, as he denied responsibility for the toddler’s death.

Benham, of Highstreet Road, Hernhill, and Hedges, of Fillace Park, Yelverton, Devon, deny murder and an alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.