Jurors heard Heyes had been left alone with his new baby after his partner and Layla's mother, Joanna Pike, 32, left the home they shared with a total of six children to collect her benefits payment.

While she was out, Ms Pike received a call saying Layla had been rushed to hospital. Heyes later told her the baby had stopped breathing while he was out of the room.

He described placing the little girl on the sofa to put down a cigarette, but said she had fallen on the wooden floor, 14 inches below.

Heyes, who also has a 16-month old son, ran to a neighbour's house on Burnage Close, Speke, saying: "The baby's not breathing. She's gone floppy.

“D'ya reckon phone ambulance."

In hospital, Layla failed to respond to treatment and her ventilator was turned off at 3.30pm, on October 19, 2008.

Doctors found the youngster had suffered severe damage to her brain and spinal cord due to a lack of blood and oxygen, bleeding in both eyes and nerve fibre damage to her neck.

Experts also discovered evidence of bleeding on the brain from several days before.

Mr McDermott told jurors Heyes’s account did not explain the full extent of Layla's injuries.

The case continues.