A WOMAN accused of murdering her baby son told a court, he "turned her life around".

Kimberley Hainey, 37, told the jury at the High Court in Glasgow, her son Declan was a fresh start, and saved her life.

She denied leaving her son overnight and claimed she would only leave him for short periods of time.

The court heard she did not like taking her son with her to the chemist to collect her Methadone prescription and that she was given reassurance by staff when she took Declan to see a nurse.

Hainey began giving her evidence at her murder trial yesterday.

The court was told that after having a bad relationship with her mum prior to Declan being born her family "came together" again.

Hainey was asked about leaving her son alone during the time he was alive but denied leaving him overnight and said there were only a few occasions he was on his own.

She told of going to the shops one night for milk, leaving a teething Declan sleeping in his cot.

She said: "It was only for 10 minutes, it was after midnight, I put him down and phoned a taxi."

The jury was also told of a couple of occasions of her "nipping across the road" to a neighbours and that she would take her baby monitor with her if it was for any length of time.

She added: "It wasn't something I did on a regular basis."

Hainey was also asked about her missing meetings with her drugs worker, Jill Stevenson.

When asked by her defence QC Edward Targowski about missing these meetings she said "It was just easier to make an excuse".

She added: "Jill sometimes was overbearing, sometimes you couldn't get her off the phone.

"I felt like a naughty schoolgirl. I am a grown-up woman I am not asking for this."

Hainey, is accused of willfully ill-treating and neglecting her son Declan over a 19-month period between September 1, 2008 and March 30, last year at Bruce Road, Paisley.

The Crown has charged Hainey with either murdering her son or alternatively of neglecting him.

The Crown alleges that Hainey pretended that Declan was alive in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice between July 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010.

Hainey denies all the charges against her.

The trial before Lord Woolman continues.

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