A babysitter has denied breaking the leg of an infant in her care, telling a Supreme Court jury: "I love children, they're my life."

According to prosecutors, five-month-old L'Naiye Simmons suffered the injury at the hands of Betty Jean Steede, 50.

She denies causing him grievous bodily harm, claiming in court yesterday that a Police officer bullied her into making admissions during an interview.

The trial has heard how L'Naiye's mother, Laneh Simmons, left him at Steede's home in Swansbay Hill, Pembroke, on the morning of October 30, 2006. She claimed L'Naiye was in good health prior to this. The babysitter called later that morning to say L'Naiye would not crying, and Ms Simmons discovered the injury when she went to pick him up.

Earlier this week, the jury heard a taped interview in which Steede told Police officers she accidentally hurt the baby when she was pulling off his all-in-one outfit, but was too scared to tell his mother.

She cried and expressed sorrow that the baby got hurt, telling the Police: "To me within myself it was an accident. It's been bothering me so much to tell you the truth."

Taking the witness stand in her own defence yesterday, Steede told the jury she is a mother-of-three and a grandmother. She ran a home-based child care operation for seven years prior to the incident – having looked after children since she was a young girl – but now works for MarketPlace.

She described how she started caring for L'Naiye at the rate of $150 per week when he was three months old, telling the jury: "I used to call him 'cheeks' because he had these nice little cheeks – something to kiss".

She described how he was crying and sweating on the morning in question so she decided to change him.

"While I was taking off his clothes his leg – his foot – got caught in the onesie and I was like, I was doing it rough. Not rough, but I was like doing it fast (sic) than I usually go at my pace because he was sweating and he was crying and I was feeling sorry for him because I didn't know what was wrong with him. He looked like he was in distress or something," Steede told the court.

"I managed to get his foot undone afterward and then I brought him to my chest and held him tight and I said to myself 'God, I pray I didn't hurt this child'."

Steede reported the baby "cried and cried" when his foot was caught in his all-in-one outfit. However, in answer to questions from her lawyer Victoria Pearman as to whether she broke L'Naiye's leg or put him at the risk of such an injury, Steede said she did not.

Quizzed by Ms Pearman about events at Hamilton Police Station where she was arrested and interviewed on November 28 2006, Steede made allegations about the conduct of Det. Insp. Steven Lightbourne prior to a tape recorded interview.

Claiming the officer was rude and used swear words, she told the jury he said: "If you don't tell me that you broke this child's leg, I'm going to arrest you."

Steede said she started crying at the thought of being locked up for something she did not do, and thought to herself: "I'll confess to anything you want" because she just wanted to get out of the Police station.

Beginning his cross-examination of the defendant, Senior Crown Counsel Carrington Mahoney asked her: "Do you lie?".

When Steede said she does not, Mr. Mahoney took her step by step through the transcript of her taped Police interview, asking if she was telling the truth at various points. Steede described herself as "confused" during the interview, and denied telling lies.

The case continues.