Accused Tammy Goforth testifies at Regina murder trial

Kevin and Tammy Goforth are witnesses at their own murder trial. Tammyentered the witness boxFriday morning.

The Regina couple has been charged with second-degree murder of a four-year-old girl in 2012 and of causing bodily harm to her younger sister. The Goforths were caregivers to the children at the time.

• LIVE BLOG: Day 10 of Goforth murder trial

Tammy Goforthtestimony contrasts Crown witnesses

Tammy Goforthspent much of her time in the witness box on Friday contradicting what had already been said in court.

Testifying in her own defence, shesaid when social services asked if they would take the girls, Kevin didn't want them, but she cried because she "wanted girls."

Goforthtold court theolder girl was "small, very small and thin" while heryounger sisterwas "tiny" when they arrived in their care in 2011.

It's almost like they didn't even sleep at night.- Tammy Goforth

"When I would feed them they would eat fast, like they were never going to eat again,"Goforthsaid.

The description of the girls as small and thincontrastswithstatements given earlier in the trial by a Crown witness, a child protectionworker,who described the girls as "full-faced" and "pudgy" before theGoforthscame into the picture.

Gorforth said she tied a small string to the doorknob of the girls' bedroom to keep them inside, since they would "roam around at nighttime," and she was worried they would hurt themselves.

"It's almost like they didn't even sleep at night," she said, addingthe string allowed the door to open approximately 30 cm, and that she only tied it there once.

Const. Garth Fleece, a forensic identification expert with Regina Police, had mentioned the string earlier in the trial. It had been one of the items he was supposed to search for in the original search warrant, as a possible sign of a restraint.

Goforthalsosaid Friday that one of the girls would poke her nose until it bled, so Goforth put mittens on her. Goforth said she taped them on to stop them from sliding off. She said the tape ended up causing some marks.

This contrasts the testimony of the crown witness,Dr. Shawn Ladham, who performed the autopsy on the four-year-old.Ladham testified he believed some of the injuries around her wrists and legs could have been caused by being bound together with tape.

When asked about a pink knotted cloth with hair in it that was also presented earlier in the trial by Const. Fleece as an object possibly used as a restraint Goforth said it was a homemade hairband.

Goforth's lawyer asked her if she taped the older girl's hands to the wall, refused to give the girls food or intended to hurt them Goforth replied no to all questions, at some points crying.

Girls in Goforth'scare before 4-year-old died

The two-year-old and four-year-oldwere in the couple'scare before the four-year-old was hospitalized and died. Court has heard the older girl was malnourished and dehydrated before she went into cardiac arrest.

The girl was taken off life support on Aug. 2, 2012.

The trial before Queen's Bench Justice Ellen Gunn and a jury of 14 (only 12 will deliberate on the case) started Jan. 18 and is expected to continue up to another week.