An unlicensed dog breeder inflicted catastrophic head injuries on a baby girl to mete out discipline after accusing her mother of being "too soft", a court has heard.

Kamran Haider, 39, of Colinton Road in Goodmayes, allegedly fatally assaulted 16-month-old Nusayba Umar in a “fit of temper”, jurors at the Old Bailey were told yesterday - March 8 - as her murder trial opened.

Haider denies murder and child cruelty between August 27 and September 13, 2019.

On the latter date, Nusayba's mother Asiyah Amazir had called 999, wrongly claiming her daughter fell ill on a bus.

Nusayba, who weighed just 17lb, was taken to hospital and died four days later.

Prosecutor Edward Brown QC said: “It is the prosecution case that it was this defendant Kamran Haider who caused the injury that killed that young child.

“Her death was most likely to have been caused by violent shaking – so that her head was thrown back and forwards – but not just shaking as there was evidence of impact as well.

“It was this that caused the very severe brain injury which ultimately killed her."

He continued: “Although you will understand that injuries such as these can be caused in a few seconds, that will not diminish the catastrophic results of such violence, but nor will it the intent with which they are inflicted.”

The QC said Haider had denied any physical contact, let alone the fatal assault, and blamed the child’s mother.

Haider lived with his own mother in a four-bedroom house in Ilford when Mrs Amazir - from Newham - met him through a dating website.

She had effectively moved in to help with his dog breeding business, jurors heard.

At first, Mrs Amazir had no real concerns about Haider’s behaviour – albeit he could be “snappy” and “verbally aggressive”.

Just over a fortnight before the fatal incident, Nusayba allegedly suffered a separate head injury while in the care of the defendant.

He reportedly told her mother that the baby had fallen over in the kitchen while he was in the garden feeding his dogs.

Haider went on to become increasingly threatening towards both mother and child, it was alleged.

He put Nusayba in a corner, hit her on the hand during “time out” and made her adopt various “stress positions”, Mr Brown said.

If Mrs Amazir tried to intervene, he would slap her, jurors were told.

Mr Brown said Haider appeared to justify his behaviour by accusing Mrs Amazir of being too soft, telling her that Nusayba would “grow up to be a p***y”.

On September 13, 2019, it was said that Mrs Amazir had got up to tend to the dogs when she heard Nusayba crying.

As she headed towards her room, she allegedly heard the defendant say “shut up Nusayba” followed by a slapping sound, and she heard the baby “yelp” in response.

Afterwards, she did not seem herself although there was no outward sign of injury, the court heard.

At about 5pm, Nusayba began having a fit and Haider allegedly suggested to Mrs Amazir that she take the baby back to her home to “relax”.

The mother left and called an ambulance from the bus stop at the end of the road.

She incorrectly informed the operator that her daughter started having a fit while on a bus, only later disclosing that she had been scared of the defendant.

By the time paramedics arrived, it was clear the baby was “gravely ill” and was taken to hospital.

Despite the efforts of medics, her condition did not improve and four days later - September 17 - Nusayba died after intensive care support was withdrawn.

Mr Brown told jurors: “Whether in the end it was a severe blow to the head or a severe shaking of her, or both, does not matter for the purposes of this trial of this defendant for her murder and nor do the prosecution have to prove that it was one or the other.

“Make no mistake, it was a terrible assault and it killed Nuseyba.”

The trial continues.