Wolverhampton baby chute mother was not depressed – doctor
A mother accused of throwing her six-day old baby down a rubbish chute displayed no homicidal traits or signs of post-natal depression, a doctor told a court.
Dr Killon Mwebe, who is a forensic medical examiner for West Midlands Police, told Birmingham Crown Court yesterday that Jaymin Abdulrahman gave no indication of mental health problems including voices in her head.
Dr Mwebe interviewed the 25-year-old after she had been questioned by police at Wolverhampton Central Station in September.
Abdulrahman is accused of throwing her six-day-old baby 44ft down the rubbish chute at a block of flats in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton.
The court heard it was Dr Mwebe's job to assess if someone in custody of the police is medically sound to be interviewed. Prosecuting solicitor Andrew Smith QC asked the doctor how he assessed patients.
Dr Mwebe said: "We look at their mental health and the behaviour of the person. This can be monitored by the way they walk into a room, their appearance, if they know what is going on and generally the way they are in that place.
"Then we see if they are orientated and we go down the lines of mood, appetite, sleep patterns and we see if they are detached from reality such as hearing voices in their head."
When Mr Smith asked Dr Mwebe if he found any signs of post-natal depression, he replied that he didn't.
The barrister asked if during his assessment of Abdulrahman if there was any suggestion that she experienced voices in her head.
The doctor said: "There was no evidence of that," he continued "She didn't have any homicidal thoughts or display anything to do with homicides. There were no suicidal thoughts and there was no evidence of mental health issues."
The court has been told that Abdulrahman told her husband Mohamad Amin that two men had snatched the baby. The jury was then played an emotional 999 call he made telling of his distress.
Kurdish national Abdulrahman had been described by police detectives earlier in the hearing as appearing 'emotionless' when giving an account of her child being snatched from her flat during interviews.
Detective Constable Harjindra Rennison said that at no point did Abdulrahman ask about the welfare of her daughter.
Abdulrahman denies attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The trial continues.
