A pensioner has gone on trial accused of killing his step-son almost 50-years ago, after the victim's brother - who was just three at the time - came forward and told police he had witnessed the murder. 
 
 David Dearlove, 71, had always claimed his 19-month-old stepson, Paul Booth, died after banging his head when he fell out of bed at their home in Stockton-on-Tees in October 1968. 
 
 But in 2015 he was arrested and charged with murder, when Paul's brother, Peter, spotted a faded family photograph on Facebook and came forward to describe how he had witnessed 
 
 Mr Dearlove smashing the toddler's head against a fireplace. ||||| The video will start in 8 Cancel 
 
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 Allegations of historic child abuse were made during the first day of a trial over the death of toddler Paul Booth in Haverton Hill, Stockton, in the 60s. 
 
 A murder trial began on Tuesday at Teesside Crown Court in front of judge Mr Justice Males. 
 
 David Dearlove is accused of the murder and unlawful killing of the child in 1968. 
 
 Accused 
 
 (Image: Evening Gazette) 
 
 David Dearlove, now 71, is accused of the murder and unlawful killing of his ex-partner’s son who died in hospital in October 1968. 
 
 Dearlove, now of Great Yarmouth, also denies three charges of child cruelty. 
 
 ‘Open verdict’ 
 
 Paul Booth died on October 1, 1968, after sustaining injuries in his home on Rodney Street, Haverton Hill, Stockton. 
 
 He was rushed to hospital but died later that evening. 
 
 Dearlove and Paul’s mother, Carol Booth, told police the 19-month-old had been in the sole care of Dearlove, and had sustained his injuries after falling from a bed, hitting his head on an uncarpeted floor. 
 
 An open verdict was recorded at Paul’s inquest and no charges were brought against Dearlove or Carol Booth. 
 
 Facebook picture 
 
 (Image: publicity picture) 
 
 Almost 50 years later, Paul’s brother, Peter Booth, saw a picture posted to Facebook of Dearlove and his late brother. 
 
 It was posted by Dearlove’s son. This prompted the case to be reopened. 
 
 Memories 
 
 Peter Booth was almost four-years-old at the time his brother died. 
 
 He told police he crept downstairs to get a drink that night and, through a gap in the door, saw David Dearlove swinging baby Paul around holding his ankles. 
 
 He claims he watched as his stepfather smashed the little boy’s head into the fire surround, causing the fatal injury to his skull by the impact. 
 
 Other injuries 
 
 The court heard how Paul had other injuries likely to have been caused over a period of time prior to his death. 
 
 Carol Booth, a mother of three at the time she began a relationship with Dearlove, is now deceased. The pair separated in 1970. 
 
 A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was a brain injury with bleeding on the brain associated with a skull fracture. 
 
 The now-deceased pathologist said the death could have been the result of a fall but equally a forceful blow to the head. 
 
 Paul Booth was buried on October 7, 1968 in a now-unidentifiable grave. 
 
 Catalyst that sparked murder probe 
 
 Years later, the police investigation began which led to the trial after a cousin of Peter contacted police. 
 
 Peter had previously accused Dearlove of killing his brother and told police, but no charges were brought. 
 
 The catalyst for the 2015 complaint appears to be the picture posted to Facebook by his cousin, David Dearlove jnr. 
 
 Peter Booth gives evidence 
 
 Called as the first witness, Peter said he had not said anything as a child because he was extremely scared of Dearlove, who regularly assaulted him and his sister, Stephanie. 
 
 He claims to have been regularly submitted to abuse by Dearlove when his mother was not around. 
 
 He said he saw Dearlove cause the fatal blow on the night over October 1, 1968. 
 
 During cross examination, it was said that Peter’s memories may have been “muddled”. 
 
 Proceeding 
 
 The trial broke off until 10.30am on Wednesday, when the defence will continue its cross examination.
– The crime is awful: A man is accused of murdering his girlfriend's toddler son by smashing the boy's head against a fireplace in a fit of anger. But the circumstances surrounding the murder trial of David Dearlove in England are drawing even more attention. The alleged murder of 19-month-old Paul Booth took place in 1968, and the witness who has come forward to police was just 3 years old at the time, reports the Telegraph. That witness is the victim's brother, Peter Booth, who came forward after a relative posted a faded family photo on Facebook of Dearlove, now 71, and Paul Booth, taken just weeks before the boy's death. The photo angered Peter Booth, who confided in a cousin about what he had seen on the night of the boy's death nearly 50 years ago. She went to police, and the subsequent investigation has led to the trial now underway. Peter Booth told the court that he snuck down from his room the night of Oct. 1, 1968, to get a drink and saw Dearlove deliberately swing Paul Booth by his ankles into the fireplace, head-first. He said he fled back to his room in fear, because Dearlove was regularly abusive, and kept what he saw a secret. Dearlove and the boys' now-deceased mother told police that the boy's fractured skull came after he fell out of bed, and no charges were filed, reports GazetteLive. Peter Booth had twice before gone to police as an adult to request an investigation, to no avail, but he never shared the details of the incident until now, per the Washington Post. Experts including a neurosurgeon have testified that it's unlikely that the blunt-force trauma suffered by the young victim came from a tumble out of bed.