A man has told a jury he searched for flights as he was "panicked" about being arrested for the murder of a two-year-old girl.

On his third day in the witness box at Ipswich Crown Court, 24-year-old Scott Jeff explained Google searches found on his phone looking for flights to Scotland shortly after the death of Isabella Wheildon last June.

“Why were you thinking about leaving?” asked defence barrister Christopher Paxton KC.

“Because I was panicking about getting arrested for her murder,” replied Jeff.

“I was just thinking of getting away, so I don’t get blamed for anything that I haven’t done,” he added.

Jeff said he began drinking heavily after Isabella died to “to drown things out”.

However, he told the court he could not remember why he uploaded two selfies to a Snapchat story shortly after her death.

Jeff said he wanted to “act like things were normal” and so walked around Ipswich with Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell pushing Isabella’s body in a pram.

He said that it was Gleason-Mitchell’s idea and he had “no choice” over it.

CCTV presented to the court showed an Xbox Jeff bought while walking around Ipswich which was placed on top of a towel covering the two-year-old’s body in the pram. 

When Mr Paxton asked why the defendant did not call the police, he said he feared he would be blamed “due to being the male in the relationship”.

He added: “I was just shutting everything out. I was thinking a lot in my own head. Just the possible scenarios in which the defence could play out and the best way to go about things.”

Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell, both 24 and of no fixed address, have denied murdering Isabella between June 26-30 last year.

In addition to denying murder, Jeff has also denied causing or allowing the death of a child between June 26-30 last year and two offences of cruelty to a child.

Gleason-Mitchell has pleaded guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child and two offences of cruelty to a child under 16.

The trial continues.