Ex-soldier testifies he beat daughter often

HONOLULU — A former Hawaii-based soldier testifying in his capital murder trial said Wednesday that he beat his 5-year-old daughter often because of her bathroom accidents and because he was taking out his marital frustrations on the child.

Naeem Williams said the day his daughter Talia died in July 2005, he hit her so hard in the back that she hit her head on the floor and appeared to have a seizure. He said he punched her repeatedly after coming home from a night of drinking and being upset that Talia had spit toothpaste all over the sink and had urinated on herself.

Talia didn’t get up from the blow, he said.

Williams spoke haltingly, looked down often and sounded like he was crying during his testimony.

Williams could face the death penalty even though Hawaii doesn’t have capital punishment because he’s being tried in federal court.

It was a marked difference from the testimony of his wife, who spoke clearly in detailing physical abuse they inflicted on Talia, including duct-taping her to a bedpost, removing all furniture from her room and withholding food. Delilah Williams testified for the prosecution as part of a plea deal for a 20-year sentence.

Naeem Williams testified that he didn’t intend to cause physical and mental pain.

“What was your intent while you were beating her down?” asked federal prosecutor Steven Mellin during cross-examination.

“All I wanted to do was stop Talia from using the bathroom on herself,” Williams replied. But he said he was also taking out frustrations he had in his rocky marriage.

Mellin said Williams is trying to blame his wife for beating Talia, who turned 5 on March 20, 2005.

Williams recalled that while at the hospital where Talia was pronounced dead, an Army investigator asked him if he wanted to write her a letter.

After a long pause he said, “What could I have said?”

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