Daniel Pelka: Stepfather Denies Deadly Punch

A court is told that Mariusz Krezolek tried to strangle Daniel's mother as she attempted to stop him beating the boy.

A man accused of murdering his four-year-old stepson has denied punching him in the head and strangling the child's mother, a court has heard.

It is alleged that Daniel Pelka was subjected to "incomprehensible" cruelty, and was starved for months before being beaten to death.

Mariusz Krezolek and the boy's mother Magdelena Luczak deny murder and causing or allowing his death.
Krezolek was giving evidence in his defence for a fourth day at Birmingham Crown court.

The 34-year-old had earlier told the jury that on the evening of March 1, 2012, he had seen Daniel in the kitchen with a washing up bowl.

He said he had thought Daniel's mother had given him salt as a punishment for stealing food, and he thought the bowl was for him to vomit in.

Krezolek had said that Daniel had then fallen over twice, then a short time later fallen again while in the bath and lost consciousness.

But Luczak's barrister, Stephen Linehan QC, suggested an entirely different version of events, and that it was Krezolek who had taken Daniel upstairs to punish him.

"From the bathroom you grabbed hold of his clothes and took him into the box room, then you punched him to the side of his head," Mr Linehan said.

He went on to suggest the stepfather had knocked Daniel onto a mattress and then tried to strangle Luczak when she tried to stop him.

Mr Linehan added: "I'm suggesting his injuries to his brain were caused by a direct blow that knocked him down."

Krezolek repeatedly replied "not true" to each of the accusations.

Later he said: "I was trying to believe Magda that he was simply tired and asleep. I said if Daniel is feeling bad tomorrow we are going to hospital first thing in the morning.

"Magda said wait 'til the morning, he is surely weak due to the salt."

Krezolek was asked why, when Daniel was unconscious or semi-unconscious, was he surfing the internet for a new car and new tyres.

He admitted carrying on "partially" as "normal", because he said Daniel's mother was confident that he would be alright.

Mr Linehan said to Krezolek: "Both of you were responsible for the mistreatment of that boy."
"Yes", Krezolek replied.

Mr Linehan asked: "One of you killed him, but which one?"
Krezolek said: "I didn't see Magda do anything and I didn't do anything either."
The trial continues.