VIDEO: Ben Butler murder trial: Six-year-old Ellie 'suffered head trauma in weeks before death'

It took two hours for Ben Butler and his wife Jennie Gray to call an ambulance after their daughter Ellie suffered fatal injuries at their home in Belmont on October 28, 2013, an Old Bailey jury was told.

Mr Butler is on trial accused of Ellie's murder, while both he and his wife are charged with child neglect.

Prosecutor Edward Brown QC today told the jury medical experts believed the nature of Ellie's injuries were consistent with those normally seen in a "road traffic collision or a fall from a great height".

FROM YESTERDAY: Ben Butler murder trial: Sutton dad 'killed six-year-old daughter Ellie after conviction for assaulting her was overturned'

He also revealed that a post-mortem examination had "showed signs of older head trauma", approximately two to three weeks old, that was "quite unconnected to the fatal event".

The jury had previously been told that Ellie was suffering from a broken shoulder at the time of her death that her parents had failed to get treated.

Mr Butler shook his head and spoke in low tones with Ms Gray in the dock as Mr Brown described the two "complex, catastrophic, and rapidly fatal injuries" to the front and back of Ellie's head.

Mr Brown repeated a medical opinion heard in court yesterday that the girl had been "thrown against the wall or the ground or struck with a heavy blunt weapon".

He added: "The effect of these injuries and the nature of them are wholly incompatible with an accidental domestic fall."

Yesterday the court heard how Mr Butler had been found guilty of causing serious head injuries to Ellie in 2007, leading to her being placed in foster care.

But when his conviction was quashed in 2010, he and Ms Gray launched a successful High Court bid to get their daughter back.

Jennie Gray and Ben Butler are on trial at the Old Bailey

In court today the jury was also played CCTV that showed Ms Gray travelling between Sutton and her office in central London on the day of Ellie's death, along with phone records between her and her husband.

After arriving late at her office, where she worked as a graphic designer, Ms Gray failed to answer a phone call from Mr Butler at 12.46pm.

Seconds later he sent a single word message: "Answer".

A number of messages and calls were then exchanged between the pair. CCTV showed Ms Gray leaving the office minutes later and hailing a black cab on the street.

The jury were shown CCTV footage of Jennie Gray hailing a taxi

Earlier messages suggested Mr Butler had not been feeling well that day, with one sent from his wife reading: "If you feel better [later] we can have some fun together."

But the court heard how Ms Gray had told colleagues that her husband was in Cornwall visiting his sick father.

One colleague, in a witness statement read out by a prosecuting barrister, recounted seeing Ms Gray speaking on the phone before leaving the office.

Victoria Harris said:"It appeared to me it was more than just a secret conversation. Something was just not right."

The jury also heard testimony from the taxi driver who picked up Ms Gray.

Derek Greenwood described how he had been reluctant to take the fare from central London to Sutton, before Ms Gray pleaded with him: "Can you take me, my child is really ill."

During the drive back to her home in Westover Close, on the Shanklin estate, Ms Gray had appeared "quite anxious", the cab driver said.

At one point, he had heard her in conservation on the phone, he said: "I heard her say, 'You've done what?' or "You've gone where?’ I specifically remember ‘You've gone where?’"

Phone records seen by the jury show that Mr Butler called Ms Gray at 1.19pm and had a 20-second conversation while she was in the cab.

Being questioned by prosecuting barrister Ben FitzGerald, Mr Greenwood said he only realised the significance of the journey when he saw news of Ellie's death on television the following evening.

CCTV footage showed Mr Greenwood's taxi going past Sutton station, a short distance from Mr Butler and Ms Gray's house, at 1.46pm.

An hour later at 2.46pm, Ms Gray called the ambulance.

The trial continues.

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