THE Tyrone man accused of murdering baby Millie Martin denied being her killer, claiming instead he’d tried to act as her father during the short three months he lived with her.
The claims were read out to Dungannon Crown Court from the police interviews of 33-year-old Barry Michael McCarney, from Woodview Crescent, Trillick.
McCarney not only denies murdering the 15-month-old toddler in December 2009, but also that he sexually and physically abused her while he lived with her and her 27-year-old mother Rachael Martin, at Glebe Park, in Enniskillen.
Ms Martin is accused with the wilful neglect of her infant daughter, and with allowing her death.
In the first of his police interviews, McCarney described baby Millie as a “beautiful little child ... a beautiful girl”.
However, McCarney, who got a neighbour to rush him to the Erne Hospital with Millie in his arms, also claimed that he “did not know what happened to Millie” that fateful evening while her mum Rachel was out buying him a ‘Kit-Kat’ for his tea.
He also told detectives that while he was not the toddler’s biological father, he nevertheless tried “to be a dad to her”, describing her as “joyful ... she’s just your average one-year-old learning to talk”.
The jury of nine men and four women also heard that following his arrest, and before he was examined by a police doctor, McCarney had said he was “okay”, and willing to be questioned as he had “nothing to be afraid of”.
McCarney, who moved in to live with Rachael Martin and baby Millie shortly after the youngster’s first birthday in September 2009, told police that while he tried to be a dad, looking after the youngster wasn’t his job, it was Rachael’s.
The court also heard from Church of Ireland rector, Rev Henry Blair, who travelled to hospital in Belfast to support the family, who said that at one stage McCarney led a prayer for the baby which lasted for more than a minute.
Rev Blair said when McCarney was later arrested he was “very quiet and subdued” and as he was being led away in handcuffs said to Rachael Martin: “It’s not mine.” At hearing.
