A football player has been accused of the attempted murder of a 14-month baby through violent shaking.

The baby is in intensive care at Mater Dei Hospital, having suffered brain damage.

The accused, Rotimi Williams Akande, 23, who plays for Mqabba FC, has been remanded in custody.

The court heard this morning that the baby boy, Maleek Opeyemi Olowoshile, was admitted to hospital twice. The first time was on April 5 when he suffered a fit and also had a scratch on its chest.

The second time was April 15 when the baby was unconscious and unresponsive.

The court heard that the accused was the partner of the baby's mother. The woman is now pregnant with his child.

Dr Mariella Mangion testified that when the baby was first admitted, the mother reported that he had suffered a fit and her partner had to put a finger in his mouth to release the jaw. The baby was also vomiting and had diarrhoea. An MRI revealed bleeding on the brain. The child was discharged after a week.

The baby was back in hospital on April 15. The mother had told the hospital that while she was at work, her partner - the accused - called her telling her that the baby was cold and stiff.

A CT scan showed blood under the brain. The right side of the brain lacked blood or oxygen supply. There was also a lot of swelling. Brain surgery was performed immediately. The baby is still critically ill.

The injuries, the doctor said, were compatible with shaken baby syndrome.

She said there was a plausible story for the first admission to hospital, but not the second, and although it was still early, it appeared that the baby had suffered permanent brain damage.

The child's mother recounted what she had told the hospital authorities. She said that when her partner phoned her after the second incident, he was panicking. She called the ambulance from home.

She said her partner did admit to shaking the baby, but insisted it was not violent shaking. She personally did not think that violent shaking had taken place.

She said she had stopped taking the baby to a baby sitter because the father of the child had phoned her and told her that he had a white family who wanted the child, and she was afraid that the baby would be taken away while he was at the baby sitter's.

The case continues.