Advertisement

Man accused of baby murder denies any harm

A man accused of murdering and sexually assaulting a 10-month-old baby has testified in a Perth court that he would never hurt the boy because he was taking care of him.

Mervyn Kenneth Douglas Bell, 27, is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court accused of abusing the baby for about 15 hours in March last year, including inflicting third-degree burns and bruises.

Bell, who knew the child's mother, testified on Thursday that he did not recall the baby having any injuries before he took him from Broome but denied burning the child.

"I never would have harmed that child," he said.

"I was looking after him."

Bruises on the baby's body were presumably caused when he fell out of a moving car, he said.

Bell said he panicked when the baby fell out of the moving car and was upset.

He said the boy was hurt so he cradled the child on his chest.

"I was crying because he had fallen out of the car," Bell testified.

But Bell did not closely inspect the baby for injuries and did not take him to a hospital.

"I just tried to comfort him, that's all," he said.

"I didn't think he was that bad."

Bell said he did not think the mother deserved her son and did not know how to take care of him.

He said the baby later suffered burns when he touched hot rocks at a swimming spot on a very hot day.

At another swimming stop, Bell said he went under the water for about 20 seconds and then felt a kick to his leg so he swam up immediately and found the baby head-first in the water.

He grabbed the baby and water came out of the child's mouth, the court heard.

"It was like he was choking," Bell said.

"I pumped on his chest a couple of times.

"He just wouldn't breathe."

Bell said he drove to a road house and performed CPR there too, and was in shock when the ambulance arrived.

"It just happened so fast," he repeatedly said.

Earlier, Justice John McKechnie warned that the public gallery would be closed if people spoke out during Bell's testimony.

"I'm going," the baby's mother said as she left the court room.

Bell testified that the pair argued in the evening before the baby died.

The woman later slapped him, which sparked an altercation, he said.

Bell said he might have punched her but did not kick or knee her.

"I may have assaulted her. I'm not 100 per cent sure," he said.

Bell said the woman had humiliated him so he tore her clothes.

"I wanted to humiliate her," he testified.

But Bell denied trying to run her over in his car.

The judge-alone trial continues.