A NEIGHBOUR heard baby Bobby Louch whimpering and calling for his mother hours before he died, the Old Bailey heard today (April 23).

The 21-month-old boy died on December 29, 2008 in Halcot Avenue, Bexleyheath, having suffered a string of injuries to his head and body.

His mother Collette Harris, aged 30, of Chapel Close, Crayford, and her then boyfriend James Phillips, aged 25, of Dale View, Erith, deny murdering him.

Derek Raymond told the court that he woke up in the early hours of the morning on December 29.

As he was trying to get back to sleep at around 2.30am, Mr Raymond said he could hear the baby through his wall.

He said: “I heard the baby whimpering and possibly tapping his bottle against the cot.”

Mr Raymond said the noise sounded like “mama, mama” or “mummy” and lasted for five or 10 minutes.

The next morning Phillips came around to use Mr Raymond's telephone.

His wife Rita Raymond told police that Phillips was “distressed and crying”.

Earlier today a friend of Phillips, Levi Cunningham, told the court how he had seen Bobby the day before he died with bruises on his face and ribs.

The child was being sick, had burnt his hand and already had a plaster cast on one leg from a previous break, the witness said.

Mr Cunningham said Bobby seemed “woozy” and had bruises on his forehead and cheek.

He said Harris then showed him further bruises down one side of the child's body, claiming the baby had woken up with them.

Mr Cunningham said: “They look bad.”

He said Harris replied: “Tell me about it.”

As they sat in the sitting room, Harris gave the baby a cup of water but he threw up almost immediately.

When Mr Cunningham suggested taking Bobby to hospital, Harris allegedly replied: “How can I with bruises like that? They'll think I'm beating him.”

Harris and Phillips deny an alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.