A woman accused of cruelty to her four-year-old adoptive son was a good mother who did her best, a court heard.

In his closing speech for Michelle McWilliam, Stephen Kay QC said John Smith already had behavioural problems when he arrived at the home of Michelle and Simon McWilliam.

John craved attention and Michelle, he said, was continually asking for help to cope with him.

Mr Kay said John had three "mummies and daddies," his natural parents, foster parents who he had lived with for 17 months and the McWilliams. He was fearful of being moved again.

Michelle, he said, was trying to cope with John and two other children the couple were adopting.

He said: "A supermum was needed to manage these problems."

The prosecution maintains Simon or Michelle abused John while the other did nothing to prevent it.

John Smith died of a brain haemorrhage in 1999.

The McWilliams, of Southwick, said John harmed himself and they deny cruelty.

Mr Kay said witnesses testified how good Michelle was with children.

Unable to have any of their own, the couple decided to adopt. John and a second child came to them in June 1999.

The couple, he said, had been thoroughly assessed and the local authority considered them so successful they allowed the McWilliams to take a third child.

Lord Thomas QC, for Simon McWilliam, was expected to make his closing speech today.