Tiffany Tate and Michael Roe on trial for baby Holly death

Holly Roe, who was born two months premature, suffered fatal head injuries as well as multiple rib fractures, a jury was told.

Michael Roe, 32, is accused of shaking her on more than one occasion, leading to her death just weeks after leaving hospital.

Tiffany Tate, 22, is accused of allowing Holly's death at her boyfriend's hands in Crowborough.

Prosecutor Sally Howes QC said: “Michael Roe knew exactly what he was doing."

Michael Roe was smoking cannabis the night baby Holly died

Tate, a former foster child, was 19 when she moved into Roe's home in Alderbrook Road.

Holly was born on July 14, 2018, by emergency caesarean section and had to be resuscitated.

Tate admitted she had trouble bonding with her daughter while she was still in the premature baby unit.

This continued after Holly was discharged from hospital on August 9.

When the baby cried, she became frustrated and panicked, Ms Howes said.

Roe took over night feeds as Tate had no patience with Holly, the court heard.

But Roe also lost his temper at feeding times, Ms Howes told the jury.

The court heard how he fed the baby after smoking a cannabis joint on the night she died.

Tate said Roe woke her in the early hours saying: “Holly’s cold, she’s not breathing.”

Emergency services were called to the house in the early hours of Monday, September 10.

Holly was found to be cold, not breathing and with no heart activity at all, Ms Howes said.

Paramedics battled to save her before she was taken to Pembury Hospital in Tunbridge Wells where she was pronounced dead.

Tiffany Tate was 19 when she gave birth to baby Holly

Port mortem examinations showed numerous signs of injury on her tiny body.

Eight-week-old Holly had suffered head injuries on three different occasions before her death and 12 rib fractures.

The rib fractures would have been extremely painful and Holly would have been severely distressed, Ms Howes said.

Tate told police she thought her baby was absolutely fine in the hours before her death.

Unemployed Roe denies murder.

Tate, also unemployed, denies causing or allowing the death of her child.

The jury have been told the case they are hearing for the first time is a retrial.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Hove continues.