A young boy says he and siblings were tied from a clothes line by their feet and swung around before the ties were cut and the children "flied" off, a jury has been told.

At first the boy seemed to be saying that the clothes line swung around but, when cross-examined, the eight-year-old told a jury in the High Court at Wellington that the line stayed still but the children were swung around hanging upside down from the line.

The boy said his father cut the strings while the children were still swinging and they flew off, one hitting a fence, one hitting the house and another hit the tree.

The boy said he hit the concrete and his head bled for five hours.

He is the fourth child from a family of eight children to give evidence. The children were allegedly cruelly treated at a Porirua house.

Some of the children say they were sexually assaulted and the boy giving evidence today said a cousin of his mother hit his feet with a hammer when he was wearing shoes.

Cross examined, he said the incident happened last night and his feet were sore for a few days afterwards.

The children's parents, the mother, 42, and father, 55, are in the dock along with their mother's cousin, 56.

They have pleaded not guilty and their names are suppressed.

The trial is in its second week.

This morning's witness said he had saved the life of his older brother who was tied up and stuck to the road outside their house with tape and glue on his back. He denied making up the story.

His father had pushed him into a pool at Porirua where there were fish like swordfish, he said.

The trial is continuing.

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