Baby Nikita accused tells court she was not his daughter

The accused told the court the girl was the daughter of his co-accused, not his own. He admitted assaulting the children and said he was under the influence of drug abuse at the time. He also said he is now a better person.

He said he looked after the children for about three months while their mother worked. He earned R1,050 a week when he worked as a welder. He admitted assaulting his three-year-old son.

The state argued that life imprisonment is justified because of the seriousness of the crimes, the injuries and the lack of substantial and compelling circumstances. The prosecutor said his apology was not enough and that the child's lack of oxygen was linked to his actions. The state also cited a prescribed minimum sentence of 10 years for child abuse charges.

The defence said he is a first-time offender who pleaded guilty and showed remorse, so a sentence below life could be justified. It asked the court to consider hypoxia in mitigation. The mother's case was separated, and she is expected to apply for bail.