A YOUNG mother accused of staging the death of her baby on a bus has blamed her boyfriend for the killing, a court heard.

Drug user Rosalin Baker, 25, was given the "thumbs-up" by 52-year-old Jeffrey Wiltshire, as she boarded the number 25 in east London, with the body of their 16-week-old daughter, Imani, in a sling, jurors have been told.

As passengers travelled to work on the morning of September 28 last year, Baker acted out a "nightmare" charade and appealed for help, saying her baby had just fallen ill, when in fact she was already dead, the Old Bailey has heard.

Imani, who was born prematurely, was on the child protection register when she was allegedly subjected to at least three severe attacks which left her with 40 fractures to her ribs, a fractured wrist and terrible head injuries.

In the week before Imani's death, Baker had taken the infant to live with Wiltshire in his bedsit in Newham, east London, after leaving her mother's home in Colchester the court was told.

Giving evidence, Baker told jurors Wiltshire was responsible for Imani's death and she was "petrified" of him.

Her barrister Ian Henderson QC asked: "Did you kill your daughter Imani?"

She answered: "No."

He asked if she caused injuries to her child's head, ribs and wrist, and Baker denied it.

Mr Henderson said: "If you are not responsible for those injuries, who do you say is?"

She replied: "Jeffrey."

Baker told jurors their relationship began when she was aged just 18.

She said he used violence against her on a "regular" basis, slapping, punching and hitting her with the handle of a knife.

Asked how she felt about him, she said: "Petrified of him."

On why she did not leave him, she said: "Because he kept stopping me and threatening me saying I can't leave him. He was violent."

She told jurors that their only income came from benefits and both she and Wiltshire took class A drugs.

Baker told jurors her partner took drugs "every day", in particular cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

She admitted she had also taken heroin and cocaine but not so often.

Wiltshire, who claims to have fathered 23 children, and Baker deny murder and causing or allowing their child's death.

Baker told jurors she did not love Wiltshire and they had "more bad times than good times".

On one occasion, he allegedly attacked her while she was holding Imani in her arms.

She said: "I was at Jeffrey's house. Me and him had an argument. I had Imani in my hand.

"He turned round and punched me in my right eye. I was bleeding all over Imani."

Both defendants, of Manor Park, London, deny murder and causing the death of a child.

The trial continues.