A mum who became the UK's first person convicted of family homicide after allowing her boyfriend to kill her baby is appealing her conviction in a landmark case.

Zimbabwean asylum seeker Sandra Mujuru, 21, was at work when her live-in partner killed her four-month-old child, Ayesha,smashing the baby's head against a hard surface while he was babysitting.

Mujuru was convicted in April last year of allowing Ayesha to be killed - known as "familial homicide" - under new domestic violence laws aimed at preventing parents who keep silent or blame each other for causing fatal injuries from escaping justice.

Mujuru, who was spared jail, today began her fight against conviction in London's Court of Appeal.

Ayesha died from a head injury inflicted by Jerry Gerald Stephens, of New Malden, south-west London, who was jailed for life last year for the murder.

Ayesha had two previous injuries including a broken arm and the court was told Mujuru had suspected Stephens of inflicting them, but still left her child in his care.

Mujuru was ordered to serve a two-year community order after her conviction.

Her barrister, Brendan Finucane QC, today argued her legal rights were not upheld when she was interviewed by police 15 hours after her baby's death.

As Mujuru was initially treated as a witness, rather than a suspect, the QC said she was not offered or given legal advice - but should have been - and the interviews undermined the "safety" of her conviction.

Lord Justice Moore-Bick, Mr Justice David Clarke and Mrs Justice Swift will give judgement on her appeal at a later date.