A PENSIONER accused of murdering his stepson in the 1960s told police after his recent arrest that could not remember the death.

Details of David Dearlove's interviews from 2015 were read to a jury at Teesside Crown Court today, the fourth day of his trial.

Former ICI worker Mr Dearlove, 71, denies charges of murder, manslaughter and three counts of cruelty.

He is accused of killing 19-month-old Paul Booth at the home he shared with the toddler's mother and her other two children in Haverton Hill, near Stockton.

Mr Dearlove, now from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said at the time in 1968 that Paul had fallen from his bed, and passed out.

In his interview, he told detectives that the boy shouted out, his mother Carol - now deceased - came rushing in, and he went next door where a nurse lived and to ask the neighbour to call an ambulance as they did not have a phone.

He said he could not remember what led to Paul passing out, and denied he was responsible for his death.

The jury heard that he made a statement when he was arrested the following day, saying: "I haven’t done anything wrong. It was an accident. I have nothing to do with the kids."

In his interview two years ago, he was asked: "What do you know about Paul dying then?" He replied: I can’t remember, to be honest."

He was asked: "You can’t remember anything?" He said, simply: "No."

The interviewing detective asked him: "Are you responsible for the death of Paul Anthony Booth? Mr Dearlove replied: "No."

The officer asked: "Do you have any knowledge of his death?" He said: "No."

Mr Dearlove said he was alone with Paul when he fell out of bed, and the boy's mother was downstairs.

The couple were arrested hours after the death, and were told that their story was not consistent with the boy’s injuries.

When he was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital on the night of October 1, 1968, he was unconscious with “extensive injuries to the cranium”.

The jury heard that house physician was “not entirely satisfied” with Mr Dearlove’s explanation that the child had fallen out of bed from a height of less than 3ft.

The toddler's condition worsened and he died at later that night.

The court also heard about Mr Dearlove's upbringing, which he described to police as "good", and he was asked what the discipline was like. He said: "There wasn't any discipline. It was just respect for your father and mother, and that was it."

He told detectives that he had been born in Hartlepool, and lived in the town as well as Australia, Manchester and Haverton Hill.

He worked as a carpenter in a Swan Hunter shipyard on Teesside, and moved to ICI to take up an engineering apprenticeship.

The jury heard that he later got a job repairing trailers for a haulage company, and the depot was opposite the Booth family home, and that is how he got to know the toddler's mother.

He described her as "a nice girl", and said he had not had other relationships, "just passing girlfriends".

(Proceeding)