Accused child killer Paul Darrell tried to thwart Police attempts to question him, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Darrell, of Hamilton Parish, has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully killing his two-year-old son, D'shun Dill, on December 14, 1994. The trial comes after a Coroner's Inquest last February.

Chief investigating officer Det. Sgt. Franz Williams told the seven-man, five-woman jury that on a December 26, 1994 visit to Darrell's apartment, his then-girlfriend, Rhonda, told him that he was not there and she had not seen Darrell.

But Det. Sgt. Williams said he noticed D'shun's mother, Donna-Mae Dill, was at the apartment and became suspicious.

"I saw some big sneakers in the doorway and became suspicious,'' he said. "I knew the two women did not like each other. And I thought that Donna-Mae would not have been there unless Paul was.'' Det. Sgt. Williams said Darrell's girlfriend -- who has since married -- continued to deny him access to the apartment until he told her he would obtain a search warrant while two Police officers guarded the door.

"She then admitted that Paul was there,'' he said.

Det. Sgt. Williams said that Darrell was taken to Police Headquarters where he was questioned in the presence of his lawyer Juan Wolffe.

He said the 290-pound Darrell did not answer Police questions and after the "unsuccessful'' interview was arrested on suspicion of murder.

But after another failed attempt to solicit information from Darrell on January 30, 1995, Darrell offered to give Police a voluntary statement, Det.

Sgt. Williams said.

Darrell told Police he wanted to make a statement in the presence of his lawyer.

He also told Police that on the morning of December 14, 1994, D'shun asked if he could go outside and play.

Before heading outside, Darrell said that he fed D'shun.

"I gave him something to eat,'' he told Police. "He vomited, I cleaned it up and asked him if he was alright. He said yes.'' Darrell said while the pair was outside looking at boats, D'shun slipped and fell.

"I picked him up, kissed him, brushed off his knees and said he would be alright,'' Darrell said in his statement.

He told Police that once inside the house he noticed that something was "wrong'' with D'shun.

After a nap, D'shun wanted to play and began running around, Darrell stated.

Darrell said he could not control D'shun who then started vomiting.

"I tried to give him mouth-to-mouth,'' Darrell claimed.

Det. Sgt. Williams said Darrell told him that D'shun had been vomiting for a couple of days before his death.

"He would be playing with his toys and he would mesh up his face,'' Darrell claimed. "I asked him if he was okay. He said yes. I never did anything to my son,'' he added. "I loved my son. I just loved my son.'' Darrell's lawyer Mark Pettingill grilled Det. Sgt. Williams about George Green's -- Ms Dill's boyfriend -- voluntary statement to Police.

In his December 27, 1994 Police statement, Mr. Green admitted that he and D'shun's mother spanked the toddler.

And he told Police: "Both Donna-Mae and I used to hit him around the legs with a thing you use to scrape cakes with (a spatula). It had a rubber head on it.'' But Det. Sgt. Williams added that Mr. Green had no further contact with D'shun since October 16, 1994.

This was the day D'shun and his mother fled to a Physical Abuse shelter after Mr. Green slapped D'shun in the face.

Det. Sgt. Williams said there was nothing to connect Mr. Green to the day D'shun died.

The Crown rested its case yesterday.