Aaron Gilbert had 50 separate injuries to his body, the court heard

Victoria Bevan said Andrew Lloyd, 23, also threatened to strangle any more children she might have in the future.

Mr Lloyd, of Townhill, Swansea, denies murdering 13-month-old Aaron Gilbert, who had 50 separate injuries to his body when he died in May last year.

The baby's mother, Rebecca Louise Lewis, 21, denies familial homicide.

It is the first familial homicide charge in Wales, allowing people to be prosecuted for failing to intervene to protect a child from domestic abuse.

Miss Bevan, of Clase, told the jury she met Mr Lloyd when she was 14 and became pregnant by him at 15.

She said "they never really lived like a couple" but he sometimes wanted to see the child.

Kitchen knife

She said Mr Lloyd became violent and aggressive after drinking or taking drugs and she told the court of a series of incidents.

Miss Bevan said before their child was born Mr Lloyd told her "if the baby is not mine I will kick it out of you."

She alleged in March 2003 he tricked his way into her house, picked up a kitchen knife and threatened to kill her.

She fled from the house with her baby to her mother's home nearby.

Miss Bevan said police broke into her home and found Mr Lloyd about to hang himself from a banister.

Officers intervened and he was taken to Cefn Coed psychiatric hospital.

Brain damage

In another incident, late on 5 May 2005 - when baby Aaron was dying at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff - she said Mr Lloyd telephoned her and asked how his own child was.

"He asked me if I still loved him," said Miss Bevan.

She said when she replied "no" he called her a "slag" and said if she had another child then he would get their son to strangle it or he would do it himself.

"He said if I wanted any more (children) they would be by him. He did not want our son to have brothers or sisters by different fathers."

The jury had already heard how Aaron died from brain damage after suffering 50 separate injuries to his body.

Mr Lloyd allegedly beat the child so badly a neighbour said Aaron looked "like the elephant man" just before he died, said Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting.