A man who hit a young boy in his care "extremely hard" has walked free from court.
Cory Taylor, 26, was left to look after his partner's child, aged five, at their home when he "struck" the tot, leaving him with bruises and small red spots of blood under his skin which stretched across his ears, shoulders, neck, scalp and face.
Prosecutor, Jessica Slaughter, told Teesside Crown Court that Taylor called his girlfriend at 4.30am to say that the child had "fallen out of bed" but that he had settled him back down, Teesside Live reports.
Ms Slaughter said that the boy's mum then rang her partner again the next morning, asking him to take her children to her sister's house, where she would then meet them.
In a statement, the mother told the court: "I can't forget seeing his bruised face and ears when he walked through my sister's door. I am mortified that someone I trusted did this to my five-year-old son, who called him dad".
The court heard that the mother took her son to James Cook University Hospital, where a paediatrician found that the boy's injuries "were non-accidental and could not have been caused by a single fall out of bed". Dr Burns said the "extensive bruising could only have been caused by excessive force".
The mother said that the boy continuously cried whilst being examined in hospital and that since being assaulted "he has trouble trusting anyone- particularly men he doesn't know". After he was arrested, Taylor continued to claim that the boy had fallen out of bed and criticised the mother's parenting to officers.
Cory Taylor, of Shelley Road in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court heard that he had never been in trouble with the police prior to this incident.
Defending, Tom Bennett said that his client was "had expressed regret and disgust in himself", and that he had experienced a number of difficulties during his upbringing which have caused him "extensive trauma". Mr Bennett said that Taylor's "mental health issues were linked to the commission of this offence" and that reports on Taylor raise the possibility of him suffering from aspergers or autism.
Judge Andrew Sutcliffe told Taylor: "You now accept that you struck him extremely hard to his face, neck and shoulders. It has taken the boy a long time to get through the difficulties caused by this." He added that the boy suffers from nightmares following the attack.
The judge handed Taylor a 22-month prison term, suspended for two-years. He was ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation days and undertake 220 hours of unpaid work.
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