Court told woman 'told paedophile to assault baby'

A paedophile from Rochdale told a court that he was told what to do by his then girlfriend as the pair sexually assaulted and took photographs of a five-month-old baby.

Colin Blanchard, 40, of Littleborough, said it was Tracy Dawber, 44, who took the lead in the abuse.

Dawber, formerly of Bedford Road, Southport, Merseyside, denies the assault and permitting Blanchard to take the five indecent pictures.

Blanchard is in custody awaiting sentence after admitting his involvement in the alleged assault by Dawber.

He told the jury at Winchester Crown Court that Dawber had lifted the child's clothes to show it had no nappy on and he said Dawber told him to look at the child and to take the photographs.

"I was quite passive in the whole thing. I was taking the photographs as instructed," he said.

"I took a photograph and she asked me to show it to her and then I took another and I showed it again and she repositioned the child accordingly."

He said there had been sexual talk during the taking of the images but not much was said afterwards.