Mikaeel Kular's mother has pleaded guilty to killing her son (3), who she subjected to repeated assaults.

Rosdeep Adekoya (34) had been accused of murder but admitted a reduced charge of culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Mikaeel's disappearance from his Edinburgh home in January sparked a huge search involving police officers, firefighters, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard, as well as members of the public.

His body was eventually found 25 miles away in woodland in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Adekoya had called 999 to report her son missing to police, telling officers he got out of bed and climbed on a stool to unlock the front door of his home.

But in court she admitted to repeatedly punching her son and causing his body to hit against a hard object or inflicting blunt injuries on his head and body between January 12th and 15th.

She also pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by pretending to police he had gone missing.

Adekoya confessed to wrapping Mikaeel's body in a duvet cover, putting it in a suitcase and driving to Dunvegan Avenue in Kirkcaldy, where she hid the case under a bush in woodland behind a house.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice told the court "The basis for the plea tendered being accepted is that the Crown accepts that the accused had no intention to kill Mikaeel and that the assault perpetrated upon him, although severe, fell short of the wicked recklessness required for murder".

Adekoya's internet history showed searches including "I find it hard to love my son", "I love all of my children except one", "Why am I so aggressive with my son" and "Get rid of bruises".

The court heard Mikaeel died on the night of Tuesday January 14th from injuries inflicted the previous Sunday.

His mother "lost her temper" when he was repeatedly sick following a trip to a Nando's restaurant at the city's Fountain Park.

Reporter James Matthews is outside the High Court in Edinburgh.