Baby Cezar 'wasn't the same' after slapping

Cezar Taylor. Photo / supplied

Baby Cezar rolled his eyes in his head and "wasn't the same'' after his mother's boyfriend slapped him in the back of the head three times and dropped him in his cot, a court has heard.

James Hemana is on trial in the High Court at Auckland, accused of murdering Cezar by violently shaking the six-month-old in July last year.

Hemana has pleaded not guilty to murder but has admitted to failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The Crown says Hemana also prevented the baby's mother, Victoria Taylor, from taking Cezar to hospital.

Ms Taylor was in a relationship with Hemana for about three months last year.

She told the court today (Wed) that Hemana could not cope with the baby crying and would fly into a rage.

Ms Taylor said on one occasion Hemana put Cezar in his baby walker before slapping him in the back of the head three times.

The smacks caused the child's head to go forward and hit the tray and toys on the baby walker.

"I said: `What are you hitting my son for? He's only crying because he's hungry'. [He replied:] `I don't give a f***, he woke me up'.''

Ms Taylor said baby Cezar screamed which made Hemana more angry.

"He wrapped him in the blanket and dropped him in the cot. He grabbed a pillow to shut him up.''

Ms Taylor said Hemana was standing over the cot when he dropped the baby from about chest height.

"His eyes were rolling and he was crying.'' Later she said: "Yes, he was screaming, he was screaming like I never heard a baby cry before.''

She said Cezar had bruises on his forehead, the size of m&m lollies.

"He wasn't the same.''

She said after the incident Hemana became more violent and would hit her. She said she tried to leave but Hemana would not let her and caught her trying to escape out the bedroom window on one occasion.

"He practically kept me in my own home like a prisoner.''

The trial continues.