Assault on girl ‘went too far’

A FAR Northern father has been given a second chance after he assaulted his 14-year-old daughter, rupturing her eardrums, and sent her a crude photograph of a penis on a swing.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and indecent treatment of a child under 16 and was ordered to complete 100 hours community service with no convictions recorded.

District Court Judge Leanne Clare said the offending was born from frustration over the girl’s rebellious and uncaring attitude, but he went too far.

A FAR Northern father bashed his daughter and then sent her a crude meme of a penis on a swing when she didn’t reply to his message.

The Cairns District Court was told that the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had snapped over the 14year-old’s rebellious, uncaring attitude after she didn’t return home one night last July.

She had some bruising and swelling on her face and her eardrums had been ruptured.

“Any parent might understand the worry and frustration that your daughter had caused you but your loss of physical control clearly went too far,” Judge Leanne Clare said.

She posted a photo of her face on Facebook messenger with the comment “thanks”.

He sent her a loving message pleading with her to return to school and expressing his love for her.

When there was no reply he sent a photograph of a detached penis on a swing saying, “tag someone who’d take a ride on this swing”.

He pleaded guilty yesterday to assault occasioning bodily harm and indecent treatment of a child under 16 (exposure).

Judge Clare said this offending was in no way sexually motivated and that making him a reportable sex offender was unwarranted.

Instead she ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service and convictions were not recorded. He was also placed on a $500 good behaviour bond for a period of 18 months.

She summed up the situation as a 14-year-old child whose behaviour at least contributed in a significant way and a father “who seems to be at the end of his tether”.

“It’s very sad to hear that things got to this point,” Judge Clare said.

“These offences were born of your frustrations with her rejection of your authority and the worry she had caused you or the indifference she ... had for her own safety.”

Defence barrister Justin Greggery QC told the court that his client had not meant to send his daughter the meme, which he sent as a group message.

He said that the girl and her father had since reconciled and she was living with him again.

The court was told that the crown prosecution agreed that recording a conviction was inappropriate given the circumstances.

IT’S VERY SAD TO HEAR THAT THINGS GOT TO THIS POINT JUDGE LEANNE CLARE