A Pinner man has told a Norwegian court he did not order his lover to drown her daughter during a late-night internet video call.

Ammaz Omer Qureshi, 35, of Pinner, is accused of instructing Yasmin Chaudhry, 28, to "discipline" the 22-month-old child after she interrupted them during an MSN video chat.

The pair are appearing in Oslo District Court, where Qureshi is accused of giving the woman instructions to kill her daughter, a child from another relationship, in October 2010.

At the opening of the trial on Monday, investigators said the toddler was drowned when her head was plunged into a bucket of water.

Qureshi, who was in London at the time, is alleged to have told his lover to “discipline” the child, giving her instructions which led to her plunging the child’s head under water until she lost consciousness.

Chaudhry then called emergency services and reported the incident as an accident. The child died in hospital the following day.

On Monday she pleaded not guilty to first degree murder but admitted to assaulting the child. Her lover denied any involvement in the crime.

In addition to the murder, the duo are accused of "regularly" torturing the girl over a six-month period -- the mother allegedly received online instructions from Qureshi, who witnessed some of the abuse via the internet.

During the assault, the child was forced to swallow a spoon of chilli powder, was gagged with adhesive tape, given cold showers and was slapped around the face.

If found guilty of murder the couple face a 21-year jail sentence. Child abuse carries a six-year sentence.

The trial continues.