THE brother of a toddler allegedly killed by his violent stepfather decades ago has told a jury he is "haunted" by the image of his brother being smashed into a fireplace.

Peter Booth, who is now aged 53, gave evidence today in the trial of David Dearlove, who is accused of killing 19-month-old Paul Booth in the 1960s.

He has already told the just at Teesside CrownCourt that he saw Mr Dearlove, now 71, swing Paulby the ankles and smash him into the fireplace.

Today, under cross-examination by defence QC Tim Roberts, Mr Booth was asked about his description to police of what happened in the family home in Haverton Hill, near Stockton, in 1968.

He said: "I wouldn’t think it was accidental at all because of the way things were in the house. The abuse and the violence in the house. To me, nothing was accidental.

"I can’t say it was accidental, I can’t say it was deliberate. All I’m telling you is what I’ve seen. Paul’s head hit the fireplace."

Mr Roberts suggested Mr Booth did not tell his mother about the memory.

He said: "You yourself were unsure whether it was just a memory, a nightmare, something that was unreal, but you weren’t confident that you’d really seen this."

Mr Booth replied: "I know what I saw.

"That image has haunted me since I was almost four years old to the time I’m standing here. I know what I saw."

Mr Dearlove was the then partner of Paul's mother, Carol Booth, who died in the 1990s.

Mr Booth told the court how he made three attempts to report the matter to police, coming up against "a brick wall".

He said: "It doesn’t matter when you went on about it. Nobody would listen to you.

"Why run into a brick wall every day when nobody’s listening to you?"

An inquest into Paul’s death recorded an open verdict, with his mother and Mr Dearlove telling police and the coroner the boy had fallen from his bed and struck his head on an uncarpeted floor.

Mr Dearlove, who now lives in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, denies murder, manslaughter and three counts of child cruelty.