A court has been told how a 15-month-old child screamed for his mother when his stepfather picked him up, two days before the boy's death.
Troy Taylor is on trial in the High Court in Christchurch for assaulting and murdering Ihaka Stokes at their home in 2015.
Mr Taylor was considered to be Ihaka's stepfather.
One of the boy's pre-school teachers, Annette Johnson, told the court Ihaka screamed for his mother when Mr Taylor picked him up and would not stop until Mikala Stokes came into the room and took him away from him.
Ms Johnson said this was the first time she saw the boy react in this way around Mr Taylor. She described the incident as significant.
The Crown said Mr Taylor assaulted and killed Ihaka two days later.
Troy Kevin Taylor Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
The boy's biological father, Cameron Ellen, gave evidence today.
He described overhearing Mr Taylor discussing how he heard a bump in the night and ran to the toddler's room to find him lying unconscious in his cot with a bloody mouth.
Mr Ellen, who was estranged from his son for about five months before his death, broke down as he gave his account.
Victim's mother says she is a heavy sleeper
The Crown said Miss Stokes slept while Mr Taylor assaulted her son.
Ihaka Paora Braxton Stokes Photo: Facebook
Under questioning today, Mr Ellen said she was a deep sleeper and he had to wake her if he heard their son crying.
A nurse who helped care for Ihaka after he was injured, told the jury Miss Stokes was allowed to be with her son when it was clear he would die.
The nurse said when a doctor asked the medical team to stop giving Ihaka CPR and declared him dead, Miss Stokes melted and cried.
She helped clean the boy and handed him to Miss Stokes to hold.
She said Mr Taylor's and Miss Stokes' family were there to support her. They were concerned that Mr Taylor was not there.
Miss Stokes sat in the public gallery flanked by her parents and heard most of today's evidence.
Half a dozen members of Mr Taylor's family were in court.
