Jury retires in baby killing case

The jury in the baby Mahomed case has retired to consider their verdict.

Earlier Justice Rhys Harrison told the jury to consider whether the parents of the 11-week-old girl lied to police about how she got the severe head injuries that led to her death.

Tahani Mahomed was admitted to hospital on December 28, 2007. She died on New Year's Day .

Her father Azees Mahomed, 31, denies murdering Tahani and two counts of causing her grievous bodily harm.

He and his wife Tabbasum, 26, also deny failing to provide the child with the necessaries of life.

Summing up the case in the High Court in Auckland, Justice Rhys Harrison told the jurors they should take into account whether or not the parents lied to police when considering their verdicts.

"But just because he or she has told a lie, it doesn't mean they're guilty of a crime.

"They both denied all knowledge about the fatal blow to Tahani. Each attributed her suffering to getting 'a fright'.

"They said they only took her to hospital because of her refusal to feed, otherwise ... she was acting normally."

The jury is expected to retire to consider its verdicts later today.

- NZPA