MAYS LANDING, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small took the stand Friday to testify in his trial about the alleged abuse of his daughter.
Small’s testimony began tearfully as he recounted the relationship he had with his daughter, once inseparable, but said it began to strain when she started dating someone. Small told jurors she began to isolate herself, and said the couple got intimate in their house when he was away. Small said she started calling him by his first name and referred to her boyfriend as “daddy.”
He also said the couple sent explicit videos and texts to each other, and that his daughter began missing school, needing to make up credits to advance to her senior year.
But Small said numerous times that despite their arguments, he never hit or abused her.
Prosecutors asked him about an incident with a broom. The daughter said he hit her multiple times in the head. He said they had a struggle over the broom; he pushed, she fell, and lost consciousness for about 10 seconds.
Prosecutors asked why it took three days to seek medical attention, and he said it was because there was nothing wrong. Upon examination, doctors and nurses found no head injury, no marks or bruises.
Small ended his testimony by pleading with the jury, through tears, to understand how difficult this has been on him and their family. He said the prosecutors are doing him wrong for political gain and that his daughter isn’t listening to the family now, but hopes to get her back, and perhaps they can laugh about this someday.