A couple killed their baby by drowning and shaking him to death - after the father Googled 'Can I squeeze my baby?' and 'Can babies feel pain?', a court heard.

Alistair Walker, 27, and Hannah Henry, 22, are jointly accused of causing or allowing the death of their three-month-old son, Ah'Kiell Walker, in July 2016.

A jury has heard on Thursday that the infant was found by paramedics naked, soaking wet and freezing cold at the family home.

A CT scan taken after baby Ah'Kiell was rushed to hospital showed bleeding within his eyes 'consistent with shaking a baby'.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court was told just weeks before Ah'Kiell's death his father had Googled a number of search terms about baby constipation and how to deal with it.

Alistair Walker, 27, and Hannah Henry, 22, are jointly accused of causing or allowing the death of their three-month-old son, Ah'Kiell Walker, in July of 2016

Walker had also searched 'baby broken ribs' and 'jailed father locked up as baby's ribs broken', a court heard.

A post-mortem examination found the baby had suffered a brain injury shortly before his death, as well as four broken ribs and a fractured shoulder in the weeks before it.

Walker, of Sheldon Court, London, and Henry, of Gloucester, are on trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The couple are charged with manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child, and cruelty to a person under 16. Both deny the charges.

Opening the trial on Thursday morning, prosecutor Andrew Langden said: 'This case concerns the short life and death of a baby.

'His name is Ah'Kiell Walker. He was born on April 3, 2016. Had he lived he would have just had his second birthday.

'But sadly he did not live - he died on July 31, 2016, nearly four months old and this case will concentrate on the reasons for his death.'

He added: 'Drowning cannot be excluded as a cause. You will have to consider whether Ah'Kiell was deliberately submerged in water or whether water was poured down his throat.

'Mr Walker was obsessed with the baby's constipation. You will need to consider whether the fatal event was part of a wholly inappropriate reaction to the obsession.'

A 999 call was played to the court, made from Henry's home in Archdeacon Street in Gloucester on July 30, 2016 - the day before baby Ah'Kiell died.

Bristol Crown Court (pictured) heard on Thursday that Walker Googled 'Can I squeeze my baby?' and 'Can babies feel pain?'

Henry could be heard sobbing to the operator as she described how her son was coughing up blood and was barely breathing. Her partner could also be heard speaking in the background.

A short time later, paramedics arrived to find Ah'Kiell naked, wet, and freezing cold - and began urgent medical treatment.

When he was rushed to hospital, Ah'Kiell's temperature was not recordable, and there was an 18-minute period where his heart rate stopped entirely, Mr Langden said.

He told the court a CT scan taken after the child was admitted showed bleeding within the eyes 'consistent with shaking a baby.'

The next day he was declared brain dead and the decision was made to remove his breathing tube. He died shortly after.

Mr Langden went on to explain to the jury that Henry had told police her boyfriend would take her benefits and she was scared of him.

In a text message to her mother, Henry wrote: 'He's so horrible to Ah'Kiell', adding that he 'couldn't handle Ah'Kiell crying'.

On July 24, a neighbour heard 'terrible screaming' coming from the family home, followed by a female voice shouting 'what have you done, what have you done?'.

The couple were short on money and visited shops trying to sell a gold chain and a phone to get money.

Walker accepted he was violent on occasion. His phone was discovered in the police investigation, and the Google searches were found to have been made in mid-June, it was said.