A witness who saw a man beating a child near his house considered calling authorities but was afraid for his own safety, a Sydney murder trial has heard.
Peter Cooper said he heard loud shouting and swearing at the front of his house on the NSW Central Coast on August 9, 2011.
The Crown alleges the man was Warren Ross, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend's child, Tanilla Warrick-Deaves, at a house in nearby Watanobbi 16 days later, on August 25, 2011.
"He was swearing at the little girl and telling her to get up and walk," Mr Cooper told the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.
"She said 'I can't walk any further, my legs are tired'.
"He picked her up by the hand and stood her up and hit her on the back, on the legs."
Mr Cooper, who came to court in a wheelchair, said the child was struck half a dozen times and with "quite a bit of force".
He said the swearing and yelling continued and the girl was sobbing.
He said he went inside and considered calling police and the Department on Community Services.
"Because of the anger in his voice I was worried about him coming back," Mr Cooper said.
"In hindsight, I should have called.
"At the time I was concerned about our safety and him coming back."
A few weeks later, Mr Cooper noticed a picture of two-year-old Tanilla in the paper and on the television news.
She was dead, and Ross, 28, has been charged with killing her.
The trial before Justice Stephen Rothman continues.
