A 30-year-old woman, from Tolland, and a 22-year-old woman, from Forbes, faced Wagga District Court on Wednesday on the second day of their trial on counts of child abduction, aggravated entering a dwelling with intent to commit a serious offence, and common assault.

On October 25, 2020 the two women allegedly forced their way into a Tolland home, assaulted the mother, and took her child from the house.

The Daily Advertiser has not named the women for legal reasons.

The older woman took to the witness stand to testify in her own defence on Wednesday, telling the court she was "like a second mother" to the child

She said she had become concerned about the mother drinking alcohol every day and not paying attention to her child.

"She would not like the [girl] to be around when she was drinking. She would send her to other people or just park her in the corner with a tablet [computer]," she said.

The older woman also said she had, prior to October 2020, confronted the mother about throwing her child around by the hair but did not complain to authorities as she had been raised "to distrust police" and did not want the child to be taken away.

Under cross examination by Crown Prosecutor Max Pincott, the older woman denied she attended the mother's home "in a blind range" after being told by a relative that the girl's mother had placed her hands around the child's throat.

The older woman admitted she and the younger woman were "the aggressors" in the situation, having shown up outside the mother's house without explanation and then forced their way inside.

"You took the law into your own hands?" Mr Pincott asked, to which the older woman replied "Yes".

Senior Constable Jason McKinnon testified that Child Protection advised him to return the child to her mother as there were no signs of injury.

Under defence cross examination, Senior Constable McKinnon said he did not investigate the alleged strangling further as the known witness did not cooperate.

The jury was also played body camera footage of the two accused being arrested and later declining to be formally interviewed at Wagga Police Station.

District Court Judge Gordon Lerve instructed the jury that they should not form any adverse inferences from the two accused exercising their right to remain silent.

The prosecution and defence are due to give their closing addresses on Thursday.

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