
A Newcastle man accused of murdering a six-month-old baby has said he lied to police to protect the child's mother despite admitting the pair only had a casual relationship where they met for drugs and sex.
Jie William Smith, 31, told his trial on Wednesday that the mother had punched the baby in the face on the evening of February 8, 2019, but that he had lied to police about the injuries because he felt sorry for her.