This is Barry Michael McCarney - the man accused of murdering 15-month-old baby girl Millie Martin.

Mr McCarney from Enniskillen appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court yesterday charged with killing the child last week.

The 30-year-old denies having anything to do with the little girl’s death.

Millie died at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children on Friday, a day after the alleged assault at her home in the Glebe Park area of Enniskillen.

During the short hearing the court was told how staff at the Erne Hospital, where the toddler was initially taken, had raised concerns that she may have suffered a sexual assault.

McCarney’s head was covered in a blanket as he was led to and from the courthouse amid tight security.

Dressed in a grey short-sleeved top and jeans McCarney, who has short ginger hair, spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge against him.

Detective Inspector John Caldwell described the events which had led to McCarney — who is not Millie’s father — taking the child to the Erne Hospital.

He said Rachael Martin had gone to the chip shop around 8pm last Thursday, leaving her daughter in McCarney’s care.

When she returned home less than half an hour later she found that McCarney had taken the toddler to hospital.

“The child was okay at 8pm and around 20 minutes later the child was taken to hospital in such a lifeless condition,” said Mr Caldwell, who confirmed there had been no-one else at the house at the time.

Millie was transferred to the Royal where she was examined by a consultant pediatrician.

Staff noticed bruising to parts of the child’s body and said the injuries appeared to be very recent.

The court heard that the previous night, Wednesday, Millie was also left in McCarney’s care while Rachael went to a Chinese takeaway. When she rang McCarney to say the outlet was closed he didn’t answer.

He claimed to have been at the toilet, but during police interviews McCarney told officers that he had been out collecting sticks.

Mr Caldwell said that the following morning (Thursday) Millie’s mother noticed that the child was “lethargic” and that one eye appeared to be closing.

McCarney left to go to a work site but returned less than three hours later after complaining of feeling ill.

The detective said work colleagues recalled him “appearing extremely agitated”.

“He couldn’t settle,” Mr Caldwell said. “It was quite obvious to them there was something bothering him.”

McCarney claimed to have been sick on the ground but colleagues found no traces of his vomit when they checked the area.

Mr Caldwell said the defendant “despite feeling so unwell and unable to work” had then volunteered to look after Millie again when her mother went to the chip shop on the Thursday evening.

A lawyer for McCarney, Conor Heaney, said his client had denied any part in causing Millie’s death during four days of lengthy police questioning.

No bail application was made, and District Judge Greg McCourt remanded McCarney in custody to appear before Enniskillen Magistrates Court via videolink on January 11.