A TEENAGER who denies breaking her baby daughter’s leg claimed her boyfriend caused the injury and threatened her to keep quiet.

Jade Collison, of Juniper Close, Banbury, has pleaded not guilty to one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm during January last year.

The 19-year-old also denies one count of inflicting actual bodily harm on her daughter, whom the Oxford Mail has chosen not to name.

Doctors discovered the injury after the infant, then six months old, was taken to Banbury’s Horton Hospital on January 29. Collison said the break must have been caused when her then boyfriend Ashley Dening stepped on the baby while getting out of bed.

She said: “Ashley stood up and accidentally stepped on (her) leg.”

Richard Griffiths, defending, asked: “When did you become aware of what had happened?” Collison replied: “I heard Ashley say ‘oh s***’ and then (my daughter) started to cry. It was like a screaming cry.”

She said she noticed a red mark when she picked the child up, but did not think it was a serious injury.

Collison added: “Ashley made a remark of ‘if you say anything I will not be held responsible for my actions’. I thought that he would cause harm to me if I mentioned it to anyone.”

The trial continues.

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