A MAN accused of murdering his 10-month-old daughter told police that he was in a “panic attack”on the day of her death.

Ali Zain claimed that this was why he lied when he was questioned after the death of baby Aiman Toor, a jury at Manchester Crown Court heard.

The court has previously heard that Zain, aged 25, of Crompton Street, Farnworth, lied about the cause of Aiman’s death, claiming that he had been holding her when they fell down the stairs together and she banged her head.

However, the lie was disproved when doctors could find no evidence of a head injury, with hemorrhaging on her face indicating asphyxia and seven out of eight of her ribs broken.

Det Con Chris Clarke, who interviewed Zain, read transcripts of the interviews police had conducted with Zain, to the jury.

The court heard that after initially being interviewed by officers on November 13, 2019 at Swinton Police Station about Aiman’s death, Zain then returned for further questioning on November 30 after medical reports about the child had been produced.

The evidence disproved Zain’s original claim about a fall and in the second interview, he gave a different account of events.

On November 1, 2019, Zain got home at 2.20pm and took over caring for Aiman as his wife left for her own job.

He told police that he changed Aiman’s nappy and then laid her to sleep next to him in bed, on his arm.

Zain said when he woke up he went downstairs and when he returned to the room to get Aiman, he tried to wake her up but she wasn’t moving and was cold to the touch.

The court heard he then told the police he was “in panic attack” at the time and “did not know what to do.”

Zain then said he called the ambulance but lied to paramedics, tell them that he and Aiman had fallen down the stairs and she banged her head.

When asked why he had lied, he claimed he wasn’t sure what was happening at the time, and that he was scared of police because “they torture and beat you” and wanted to protect himself.

Zain denies murder.

The trial continues.