A CHILD killer who filmed himself abusing an East Lancashire baby has pleaded his innocence from his prison cell.

Former factory hand Darren Newton, 33, is serving a life sentence for the twisted murder of 15-month-old Charlie Hunt in Earby in November 2009.

But Newton, formerly of Warwick Drive, has complained of the injustice of the case, in a series of apparent letters with a pen pal, detailed in a national newspaper.

Before his murder trial even began the former Damart worker had confessed to a string of abuse allegations, which he captured on his mobile phone, showing him slapping and prodding the youngster.

But Newton, who must serve at least 24 years in custody, wrote: “I have never laid a finger on a child.”

He carried out the attacks while his unsuspecting partner, Charlie’s mother Laura Chapman, was away visiting her other children.

Charlie finally collapsed and died from serious brain injuries, while in Newton’s care, and police were called in.

Newton added in his letters: “I just want justice for the child and me getting a guilty verdict wasn’t justice.”

He also asks the pen pal about the chances of getting his convictions overturned but no formal appeal has ever been lodged.

Passing sentence at Newton’s trial, Mr Justice Irwin told Newton: “Anyone who watches the video clips of some of what you did, and I am convinced you recorded only some of what you did, will genuinely struggle to understand why you came to do this.

“Eventually you killed him. It was a futile and wasteful death of an innocent toddler.”