A two-year-old boy was beaten to death by his mother's lover after months of neglect, a court has been told.

Sam Back was left dead in his cot for more than two weeks, it was claimed.

Police found Sam's mother and her boyfriend cowering and crying on a mattress when they broke into their flat after being alerted by the toddler's grandparents.

Sam's body was found in a cot in the bedroom.

The couple told relatives Sam had been the victim of cot death, the jury was told.

But 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.

Lewes Crown Court heard how social services gave up on Sam's care despite concerns after finding no reply at the flat his mother shared with the youngster's alleged killer.

Emma Back, 21, and her boyfriend Aaron Goodman, claimed they took the youngster's body to hospital and arranged his funeral when in fact they had been more concerned about paying back a drug debt, the court was told.

Goodman, 27, formerly of Church Road, St Leonards, denies murdering Sam between December 8 and December 14, 2000.

He admits conspiring to prevent the lawful and decent burial of Sam between December 8 and December 28, 2000.

Back, of Park Road, Bexhill, who is on bail, denies cruelty to a child under the age of 16 between August 2000 and December 2000, and conspiring to prevent Sam's burial.

Jeremy Gold, prosecuting, said that 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 his body had been taken to Conquest Hospital in Hastings.

Mr Gold said: "The prosecution says Aaron Goodman had violently killed Sam."

In interview Goodman claimed he may have unwittingly injured Sam when attempting cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the boy when he found him cold in his cot, a claim he has maintained throughout the investigation.

But a post-mortem revealed a ruptured valve in Sam's bowel consistent not with an accidental injury but with a blow from a blunt instrument, such as a fist or foot.

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. Goodman said he may have bitten Sam in a state of panic during resuscitation.

Police scenes of crime officers also found blood splashes on a Winnie the Pooh poster in Sam's room, consistent with wet blood being struck.

Mr Gold said: "This is the case of the short life and the violent death of a little boy."

"He was living with Emma Back, Sam's mother, and although we accept that Goodman alone killed Sam, we say she neglected him abysmally in the six months before his death.

"She either caused injury to Sam herself or did nothing to prevent Goodman from doing so."

The trial continues.