Baby P of Scotland

A FORMER neighbour of tragic toddler Brandon Muir yesterday described the little boy as Scotland’s Baby P — and accused care professionals of failing to spot what lay in store for the doomed child.

As evil Robert Cunningham was convicted of killing the tot, horrified Dave Hawksworth told how he reported the youngster’s mum to social workers — months BEFORE her son was born.

The Fathers 4 Justice campaigner claims he voiced his concerns after witnessing Heather Boyd punching a disabled girl and offering a toddler neat VODKA.

He has no idea if his complaints were followed through.

But just like Baby P — whose abuse was missed by carers and medics — Brandon died as a result of horrific injuries inflicted in his own home.

Last night Dave, 37, of Dundee, said: “They said they would look into it.

Tumbler

“I have no way of knowing whether they did or not, but I did as much as I could and it was up to them.

“What signs do these professional people need — is it really a coffin?”

Dave told how junkie Boyd and a few others were in his flat beneath hers. The guests included a disabled girl.

The dad-of-three went on: “Heather was heavily pregnant with Brandon.

“There was a little girl with her about 18 months old.

“Heather poured neat vodka into a glass tumbler and offered it to her. She told her, ‘Here you go, this’ll make you sleep.’

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and took the glass off her.

“Then Heather punched this disabled girl. I don’t know what sparked it, but Heather hit her face on the left side.

“I put her and the others out the flat and called a taxi for the other girl and made sure she got into it okay.

“I phoned the social work access team next day. I told them what I had seen and that I was concerned about the little girl.

“Brandon’s case is like Baby P down in England — he is Scotland’s Baby P.”

The full horror of Brandon’s short life was laid bare in a harrowing 20-day trial.

He died aged 23 months from injuries caused when he was savagely punched in the stomach by Cunningham, 23, pictured top. He had over 40 injuries, including bruises and cuts on his head, shoulder blades, tummy, back and hands.

The poor child also had four broken ribs that appeared to be at least two or three weeks old.

He was raised in squalor, with few toys to play with.

He slept on a bare mattress with no sheets and was subjected to constant chaos as junkie Boyd and pals partied non-stop.

Boyd got together with Cunningham after he cheated on his ex Lesley Ann Ross and she split from Brandon’s dad John Muir.

As Cunningham’s violent temper quickly became apparent, the baby’s fate was sealed.

Naughty

On March 15, brute Cunningham was left alone with Brandon and a young girl.

Annoyed when the little boy twice climbed on to a windowsill, he forced him against a wall — or the “naughty spot” as he called it — to punish him.

Cunningham then delivered a massive blow to Brandon’s stomach, crushing his intestine against his spine and leaving him to die a slow, agonising death.

Almost immediately the boy started vomiting brown blood.

But despite being visibly unwell, Brandon was carted off to the nearby home of Cunningham’s sister Ann, 25.

As the adults around him smoked cannabis and guzzled vodka, his condition became worse. At one point, he made his own way to the toilet where the pitiful sound of his retching sparked gales of laughter from Ann’s partner.

Drugs

Several of those present told the trial that Brandon looked “pure white” and that his eyes were rolling back in his head.

But no one thought to call an ambulance or even a doctor. Boyd even popped out with a pal to raise £60 for drugs by selling sex. By the time she and Cunningham took Brandon home, he was as good as dead. Hours later her lover was woken by her screams that he was not moving.

A 999 call was made and medics rushed him to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5.06am on March 16.

The trial heard the cause of death was acute peritonitis due to a ruptured intestine brought on by blunt force abdominal trauma.

Last night it emerged social workers HAD arranged a meeting to discuss Brandon case — on March 18 last year, two days after he died.

Social work director Alan Baird said the child protection case conference was arranged after Boyd hit her son at Douglas family centre.

Brutal

But he added people who knew more “could have done something”.

Baby P was 17 months old when he died with 50 injuries, including a broken back, in Haringey, north London, in August 2007. He had endured eight months of agony as his brutal stepdad, 32, tortured him while his mum, 27, and their paedophile lodger Jason Owen, 36, looked on. Social workers missed a string of signs that the child was suffering.

Children 1st charity said kids are more vulnerable when adults fear to get involved. A spokesman said: “If you feel something is wrong, don’t leave it to someone else to act.”