ACCUSED child killer Marlon King said the last time he saw four-year-old Amy Annamanthodo alive she was with her mother, playing.

King also denied beating the infant or his ex-wife.

He spent a second day in the witness box yesterday, being questioned by defence and State attorneys in the trial being heard in the San Fernando First Criminal Court before Justice Anthony Carmona.

King testified that Amy's mother, Anita Annamanthodo, was a teenager when she came to live at his Marabella home in March of 2004. It was a year later that Amy, who was then two years old, moved in. King said he never struck Amy at any time and demonstrated to the 12 jurors how he would only "bokey" her on her knuckles.

"Sometimes when she sitting, I touch her on her nose," he told the court.

King also denied the evidence given by his ex-wife, Lou Ann Davis, that he beat her during their 15-year relationship.

The trial, in which King is accused of beating Amy to death on May 15, 2006, started five months ago. State attorney Mauriceia Joseph closed the prosecution's case a month ago, after calling 16 witnesses, including Andre Rocke, who said he saw his "brethren" King hitting Amy 20 to 30 times while she hung by her hair.

Pathologist Hughvon des Vignes also testified that Amy's injuries were "all over her body".

Yesterday, King wrapped up his evidence in chief after 20 minutes and was then cross-examined by Joseph.

King said he considered Rocke—whom he called "Lazo" and whom had known for the past 20 years—not a friend, but a neighbour.

He said he left the house on May 15, 2006, for seven minutes to buy cigarettes, and when he returned, Amy, who was sitting next to Rocke when he left, was in a bedroom.

King said he glimpsed her and she was "making a lil noise and playing with her hand".

He said he was not concerned by this, as he had seen it many times. "I saw it on more than one occasion, like when her mother beat her, she would lie on the bed and hum," King said. He said it was a "normal thing" for Amy to make a "crying noise" without tears flowing from her eyes.

King said the next time he left the house on May 15, 2006, was around 6 p.m. He said he cooked, watched television, then left to visit a neighbour.

Amy's mother had been home for two hours, he testified.

King said he was at the neighbour's house for "an hour, hour and a half", when Anita, nine, called him on his cellular phone and told him to come back home.

King said when he returned, Amy was on a bed, with her mother hugging her.

Asked if Amy was crying or moving, King said she was not.

King said he was unable to say whether Amy was conscious between the time she was taken from the house to the time she was seen at the hospital.

Joseph also asked King if he had made an attempt to hold the child or if he had any dealings with her while she was being taken to the hospital. King said he had not.

The trial is expected to continue today.