A 'knackered and frustrated' dad was so rough with his newborn boy he broke both his legs and a forearm, a court heard. The tot was only weeks old when he sustained the multiple injuries, which were discovered after medics examining a bruise on his face gave him a full body scan.
Bristol Crown Court was told in an investigation that ensued both the baby's dad and mum were charged with causing child cruelty. But after a review of the evidence just the dad, who indicated an early acceptance of guilt, was prosecuted.
The dad, 27, was living with his partner in Weston-super-Mare when the incident happened several years ago. Bristol Live is not naming him to protect the anonymity of his son, who has since been adopted.
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Judge Martin Picton handed him a 20 months prison sentence suspended for 18 months, with 200 hours' unpaid work and rehabilitation. The judge told him: "What you did was seriously wrong and you should have realised it at the time and you shouldn't have done it.
"You must have been aware you were not coping. There were other ways you should have addressed the situation you were in as opposed to your frustration carrying over into your handling of a very, very young child. You did a wrong thing, you caused serious injury."
Richard Posner, prosecuting, said phone record evidence depicted a "highly strained" relationship between the parents who seemed resentful of each other, extremely tired and were unpleasant to each other. Mr Posner said their newborn boy cried a lot and, concerned, the parents sought medical help.
'Any ordinary person would appreciate what they were doing was entirely unacceptable'
On one trip to hospital, after a bruise was seen on his face, the baby was scanned and it was discovered he had sustained serious injuries. Due to respective healing progress medics could discern the baby had been exposed to at least four moments of excessive force over two time frames in his early life.
Mr Posner told the court: "Any ordinary person would appreciate what they were doing was entirely unacceptable." The court heard the tot's parents were arrested and the dad was interviewed three times.
In the first two he denied wrongdoing. But in the third he acknowledged he may have been too forceful changing his baby, saying he was "knackered and frustrated" at the time and did not cause injury on purpose.
Peter Binder, prosecuting, said since the offence his client had led a law-abiding, industrious life and was doing well at work. Mr Binder said: "The strain of the proceedings have been hanging over him for an inordinately long time." Mr Binder urged the judge to show mercy for an offence committed in highly strained circumstances and impose a suspended sentence.
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