A man accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in Beijing after arguing with her mother has told a court he was heavily intoxicated at the time and did not mean to harm the child.

Han Lei, who faces the death penalty for intentional homicide, denied on Monday he knew the victim was in a stroller he smashed to the ground on July 23.

The victim, identified only as Sun, suffered severe head injures and died in a hospital two days later.