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SINGAPORE: Taking the stand for the first time since his murder trial began last week, Sallehan Allaudin admitted that he had slapped and punched his two-year-old daughter, but he denied that he had stamped on or kicked her.
Speaking through an interpretor at the High Court, the 27-year-old said he had hit Natalie Nikie Alisyia Sallehan on the arm in a fit of anger to "discipline" her for ruining his cigarettes on January 6.
But Sallehan accused his wife, Madam Rozanah Mohamed Yusoff, 24, of hitting their daughter with a broom which he had omitted in his first police statement the night he was arrested, but included in his subsequent statement.
The former cleaner demonstrated on a mannequin how he had allegedly seen his wife attack the child because she was "upset".
"I saw her use the broomstick and hit Nikie's back," he told defence lawyer N Kanagavijayan. "I stopped her, I was afraid in her anger she would hurt the girl even further."
Madam Rozanah denied earlier during the trial this ever happened, when the defence lawyer had questioned her. She had claimed that she was the one who stopped Sallehan from kicking and stepping on Nikie.
The couple's accounts continued to differ, as the accused testified that they had gone into the bedroom after the attack, but panicked when Nikie collapsed in the kitchen moments later. She was breathless and bleeding from the nose.
Sallehan said his wife had called for the ambulance but told the paramedics to wait at the temple opposite their block because "she was embarrassed and didn't want the neighbours to know (about the incident)".
"My wife wanted me to go alone (to the hospital) but I wanted her to follow me as I was afraid I'd get arrested if anything bad happened," he said.
He claimed that she told him not to get her "involved", as they had two other children to care for. "I told her, since I love her and the children, so I will bear this all by myself," said an emotional Sallehan.
Nikie was rushed to the National University Hospital, but doctors could not save her.
"At the time, I was at the police post making a report about the incident, but I got a call from my wife who said Nikie had died," he said with a tinge of sadness.
"I fell to the floor at that time because I couldn't believe what I just heard. I had no intention to kill my daughter, I didn't expect my action would cost Nikie her life."
The trial continues. The accused faces the death penalty if found guilty. - TODAY/vm
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