The trial of an East Sussex man accused of murdering his two-year-old stepson has been put on hold.

Solictors in the case of Aaron Goodman and Emma Back met with presiding Judge Raffety this morning.

Goodman, 27, was believed to have become too ill to continue the trial, which today entered its second day.

He denies killing one-year-old Sam Back in a violent assault at the home he shared with Sam's mother Emma in Church Road, St Leonards.

Back, 21, is accused of wilful neglect and conspiring to prevent a burial.

She also denied the charges.

The trial is expected to continue tomorrow.

Yesterday the court heard that baby Sam was beaten to death and left in his cot for more than two weeks.

Police found his and her boyfriend cowering and crying on a mattress when they broke into the couple's flat after being alerted by the baby's grandparents.

Sam's body was found in a cot in the bedroom, Lewes Crown Court was told.

The grandparents became suspicious about the couple's claims that Sam had been the victim of cot death, the jury heard.

A post-mortem examination revealed evidence of a violent, possibly fatal blow to Sam's stomach, a bite mark on his leg and traces of cocaine in his blood.

The jury was told social services had given up on Sam's care despite concerns after getting no reply at the flat which his mother then shared with Aaron Goodman, 27, of Church Road, St Leonards, who denies murder.

Back, of Park Road, Bexhill, denies wilful neglect of a child between August 2000 and December 2000 and conspiring to prevent Sam's burial.

Jeremy Gold, prosecuting, said Sam's grandparents, Ian and Paula Goodman and Raymond and Brenda Kingshot, called police after no funeral arrangements had been made by December 28.

Mr Gold said: "Both sets of grandparents drove to the flat and knocked on the door.

"The police were called and the situation was explained. They found the two defendants lying on a mattress hugging and crying."

The jury heard Back and Sam had been visited by a social worker and health worker up until August that year.

Mr Gold said: "The social worker visited their flat on August 29 but there was no reply. Two letters were written but there was no further contact. The case was considered closed."

Back had sought help at a women's refuge in Bexhill, where Sam had been seen regularly by health visitors, when her relationship with Sam's father, Paul Lyons, failed.

Women at the refuge said Back seemed unable to properly care for Sam but social services said the boy appeared bright and happy.

Mr Gold said Sam's care deteriorated when Back moved in with Goodman.

Kevin Lewis, the caretaker at the flats, told police how on one occasion in December 2000, a week before Sam's death, he noticed a bruise on the baby's face.

On December 10, 2000, Goodman telephoned his father, Alan, to say Sam was dead. He and his wife Paula were told Sam died in his cot and that they had taken his body to the Conquest Hospital in Hastings.

The defendants refused to accept any help with the funeral arrangements, which they said would take place on December 21. Later they said it had been delayed until December 28.

Goodman's parents were shocked when he asked them for £800 to pay off a drug debt, the jury heard.

Mr Goodman at first refused but later handed over the money, pledging to have no more to do with his son.

Mr Gold said: "This drug debt seemed to have assumed much greater importance in their lives. If they could pursue it with such vigour, we say they would have been able to make sensible and decent arrangements for their son's funeral but they did not."

During police interviews, Goodman claimed he may have unwittingly injured Sam when attempting cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when he found him cold in his cot.

But a post-mortem revealed a ruptured valve in Sam's bowel consistent with a blow from a blunt instrument. The pathologist also found other internal injuries and concluded they were consistent with earlier, non-accidental injuries.

A bite mark was found on Sam's calf and Goodman said he may have bitten Sam in a state of panic during CPR, the court heard.

Police officers also found blood splashes on a poster in Sam's room, consistent with wet blood being struck.

Back told police she first knew of Sam's death when Goodman came into her room saying "I'm sorry".

She admitted taking drugs but said she never used them around Sam.