ACCUSED child killer Marlon King took the witness stand yesterday, insisting that he never beat his four-year-old step daughter Amy Annamunthodo.

King said it was Amy's mother, Anita Annamunthodo, who would often beat the child. King also testified he stopped an interview with police and asked for his attorney when the officer accused him of killing the child.

King gave evidence yesterday in the San Fernando First Criminal Court, a month after State attorney Mauriceia Joseph closed the case for the prosecution.

Sixteen State witnesses testified including pathologist Hughvon Des Vignes, who said Amy suffered lacerations, tears, bleeding, scrapes and bruises to her brain, eye, neck, chest, shoulder, hand, heart, lungs, spleen, liver, adrenal gland, kidney, abdomen, pelvic area, upper, mid and lower back and bottom.

The State's main witness, Andre Rocke, said he saw King hit the child 20 to 30 times while she hung from her hair on May 15, 2006. The child was taken to hospital by King and Anita Annamunthodo, where she was pronounced dead by doctors that night.

The hearing of evidence in the trial had stalled while State and defence attorneys argued a legal issue over a document that Joseph said she had to give to the defence.

Yesterday, Carmona ruled on the submissions.

King was told he had the option of testifying or staying silent.

King replied: "I'll take the stand ma'am."

King was shown two statements he admitted giving to police shortly after Amy's death. The statements were read to the jury.

In one statement, King said the marks and scrapes on Amy's body came from beatings inflicted by her mother. He said Amy was beaten on several occasions and the last time he saw marks on her body was two weeks before she died.

King also told the police: "I saw her (Anita Annamunthodo) throw the child and Emily (Amy) fell on her back."

In one statement, King said he saw injuries on Amy's body that would have warranted the child being taken to hospital "about 50 times".

He said the child was taken to hospital "four of five times".

He stated: "Anita used to beat the child just because she knew that (Amy) could not hit her back. If she say she wanted to pee and she sit down and didn't pee. The only thing I used to do was "bokey" she on she knuckles when she go near my fish."

King also said in a statement on one occasion Anita went liming while Amy was locked at their home in Marabella. He said a man he knew came to his workplace and told him Amy was crying in a bedroom.

King said he took that night off from work to be with Amy, and Anita called him after 3 a.m.

He said he had to threaten her that the police had taken Amy, for Anita to come home quickly.

In an interview with police two days after Amy died, King said he asked for his lawyer. He also said he refused to sign a third statement he gave.

"Any reason why?" his attorney, El Farouk Hosein, asked.

King said: "He (the police officer) started to accuse me of being the person who killed Amy. ... He said he had information from someone who saw me beating the child on that day (May 15, 2006). ... I told him I had nothing further to say without my lawyer," King told the court.

He said it was the first time such an accusation was made. King also denied ever hitting Amy while she lived with him or hitting her in the way Rocke testified.

He also testified to giving samples of blood, pubic hair, and fingernail clippings, and submitting to swab tests.

King is expected to continue giving evidence today.