Tina McLeod denies repeatedly shaking the child

Tina McLeod, 40, denies murdering Alexander Graham by repeatedly shaking and twisting him while he was in her care on 26 July, 2001.

A neuropathologist said that massive haemorrhaging to Alexander's brain and spine could have been inflicted if he was shaken once with sufficient force.

Professor Jeanne Bell, 60, said that such injuries could not have been inflicted on the one-year-old by another child, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Blunt object

The expert, who works at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital, said the baby was probably shaken to death and did not fall from a sofa as Ms McLeod claims.

Defence counsel Ruth Anderson QC asked the doctor how many shakes could have caused the toddler's injuries.

Prof Bell replied: "It could have been one shake."

Ms McLeod, 40, of Craigleith Hill Avenue, Edinburgh, denies repeatedly shaking Alexander and striking his head against an unknown blunt object or surface and murdering him.

It could have been one shake Professor Jeanne Bell

Prof Bell was asked by the defence what kind of force would be necessary to inflict such injuries.

She replied: "It would be such that anyone observing the action would say that was inappropriate handling of the child."

Asked to be more specific, the doctor said: "One severe episode which caused stretching at the junction of the spinal cord and brainstem might have caused these injuries."

The trial, before temporary judge Roderick Macdonald QC, was adjourned until Friday.