A father assaulted his new-born baby girl, causing a "catastrophic" collapse that led to her death, a court heard.

Christopher Sellman at first claimed that 25-day-old Tiffany had trapped wind and went "floppy", losing colour.

But after medical evidence revealed the baby had a fractured skull, the 24-year-old refuse collector said for the first time he had dropped her and she hit her head on a changing table.

Camden Pratt QC, prosecuting,told Maidstone Crown Court that a post-mortem examination showed Tiffany suffered a "non-accidental impact injury", adding: "That is to say, an assault before her death."

Sellman and his girlfriend, Pamela Burdge, started a relationship in July 2007 and later moved into a flat in Greggswood Road, Tunbridge Wells.

Miss Burdge, 24, was 35 weeks into her first pregnancy when she gave birth to Tiffany prematurely on October 7 2008.

Mr Pratt said the delivery involved use of a ventouse suction cap fitting on the skull, which could have caused a fracture.

But within five minutes of birth, she was in a "perfectly normal condition". There were no abnormalities and the baby thrived.

On the morning of November 1, Miss Burdge took photographs of Tiffany on a mobile phone.

At about 2.30pm to 2.45pm, she left the baby in Sellman’s sole care for the first time when she went to visit an uncle.

"It looks as though within 20 minutes of that time Tiffany had sustained some injuries," the prosecutor told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

They included bruises to the cheek and scalp and bleeding to the to the brain and eyes.

Sellman called 999 and told the operator the baby had trapped wind, went floppy and was losing colour from her face.

"The Crown say this is not a case of trapped wind," said Mr Pratt.

An ambulance arrived quickly and Tiffany was found to have suffered a "catastrophic collapse". She had a cardiac arrest and was not breathing.

Attempts were made to resuscitate her as she was taken to Kent and Sussex Hospital. She was transferred to London's King's College Hospital, where, after further attempts to revive her, she was declared dead.

Sellman, of The Hurst, Tonbridge, denies murder.

The trial continues.