The man accused of beating a Regina toddler to death in June 2012 took the witness stand in his own defence Wednesday.
Thirty-four-year-old Adam Cyr is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of two-year-old Natalia Shingoose.
He continues to deny he killed the girl.
Natalia was the daughter of his girlfriend who he was living with at the time.
Cyr told the trial he loved being a father and said it was a great feeling watching his own two children grow up.
He says he also enjoyed looking after Natalia who was much like his son and a “little wild sometimes.”
Cyr described their relationship as a good one.
He told the trial he never lost his temper with the child and he never struck her aside from the occasional slap on the bottom.
He also said he gave Natalia the occasional time-out as a means of discipline.
Cyr was shown graphic photos of the body of Natalia and was asked did you cause those injuries to which he replied, “I did not.”
He was baby-sitting the child on June 20, 2012 while her mother Amanda Trevors was at work.
Cyr told the trial Trevors came home at about 9 p.m. that night and he told her Natalia might have fallen.
He says Trevors checked on her daughter and said she was fine.
The next morning the little girl was found dead in her bed.
She died of internal bleeding caused by six broken ribs that lacerated a lung and her liver.
Cyr testified the body was in a different position than it had been the previous night and that Natalia was covered with a blanket which had not been there before.
He also testified about being woken at 3 a.m. in the morning by Trevors’ close friend Matthew Bennett who walked into the home to tell them their front door was open.
Cyr describes Bennett as “freaking out” and he had never seen him like this before.
He says Trevors was calm when she initially discovered the child’s body and only went into a frenzy when she placed a call to 911.
Cyr also says she cleaned up and removed some drug paraphernalia from the home before making the call.
He testified Trevors often sold cocaine out of the house, mostly to friends, but sometimes also to strangers who he describes as crack heads.
Cyr will be the only witness for the defence and is expected to be on the stand for two days.
The jury trial is now into its third week.