A father accused of shaking his baby daughter told a court he tripped and fell on her.

Gary Johnson, 21, told a jury at Oxford Crown Court that he woke to hear his eight-week-old daughter Nicole crying in August last year. Johnson, of Ruskin Walk, Bicester, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Nicole, now aged one, as well as causing cruelty to a person under the age of 16.

At the time he was living with partner, Jackie, 20, and her three children in Ambrosden, near Bicester. Johnson is the father of the two of the toddlers, including Nicole.

Giving evidence, Johnson said he did not dress the children until they were about a year old.

He said: "They were just too small and fragile. I do not know my own strength and I do think I could hurt them."

Referring to the date of the alleged incident, he said he had picked up his crying daughter, thinking she needed feeding, and tripped over a cushion. He said: "It just happened too quick. I could not keep myself from falling and as far as I am aware I went on top of my daughter. I am quite certain that as she was underneath me her head must have hit the floor.

"She did cry, it must have hurt. I checked to see if she was all right. That was when I noticed she did not look normal, she looked a little bit dazed."

The trial continues.