Elgin 5-year-old testifies against dad

A 5-year-old Elgin girl testified in court Thursday that her father beat her relentlessly with a belt and forced her to run up and down stairs last year after she "had an accident."

"He spanked, spanked, spanked - a lot - and then was all better," the girl said. "He was so mean to me. It hurt."

Terry W. Barnhill, 35, is on trial in Kane County, accused of aggravated and domestic battery in the Oct. 5, 2008, incident that left his then-4-year-old daughter with black and blue bruises on the backs of her legs and buttocks.

Taking the stand for the prosecution Thursday, Barnhill's daughter said he became angry when she had an "accident" in an upstairs bathroom. She said he grabbed a black belt and "spanked my butt," then had her run up and down the stairs repeatedly.

When the youngster couldn't make the trip in 10 seconds, her father beat her with a belt some more, his wife later testified.

"She was begging him to stop," the mother sobbed, but the beating continued until the girl made it up and down the stairs in 10 seconds.

Barnhill's wife said she didn't intervene "out of fear" but went to police three days later after seeing the severity of her daughter's bruises.

Barnhill, who is free on bond but no longer lives with his family, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge. He showed little emotion when his daughter testified.

His bench trial in front of Judge T. Jordan Gallagher is scheduled to resume Friday with the defense.