Accused murderer Kelly Ellard testified in her own defence Tuesday, saying she punched Reena Virk because she thought the girl would hurt one of Ellard's friends.

• INDEPTH: Virk timeline

Ellard is charged with second-degree murder in the 1997 death of the 14-year-old Virk. Ellard's first trial was in 2000.

Virk and other teens were hanging out under Victoria's Craigflower Bridge on the evening of Nov. 14, 1997, when some girls accused her of spreading rumours about one of them. Their kicks and punches left Virk barely conscious in the mud.

Kelly Ellard (undated file photo)

Ellard admits she punched Virk from behind, striking her in the jaw. She later grabbed Virk's arms and legs when she tried to get away, she testified.

Warren Glowatski, who was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder in Virk's death, testified last week.

• FROM JUNE 30, 2004: Witness says he only watched Reena Virk being killed

He said Ellard dragged Virk to the Gorge waterway, a tidal inlet, and held her underwater until she stopped moving and floated.

However in testimony on Tuesday, Ellard said she was not involved in the main assault of Virk.

Ellard's lawyer called Glowatski's testimony unreliable, accusing him of lying in order to get out of jail early. Glowatski was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999 but could be eligible for parole by this fall.