Dad played video games as toddler suffered brain injury

A GOLD Coast father was playing video games when his 18-month-old boy fell off the couch, hitting his head so hard on the tiled floor he suffered a massive brain bleed and was in hospital for five days.

Judge David Kent said a similar injury in adults was often seen in “one-punch manslaughters”.

The 31-year-old father of the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also smacked him so hard it left “rather severe bruising” on the toddler’s buttocks.

The man pleaded guilty in Southport District Court yesterday to one count each of a negligent act causing harm and assault occasioning bodily harm.

Judge Kent sentenced the man to 12 months prison with immediate release on parole.

The court was told the father, a New Zealand citizen, was using the PlayStation when the boy and his sister were running over furniture on May 22, 2016.

“You did not do a sufficient job of supervising them,” Judge Kent said.

It was then the boy fell off the couch. The father called an ambulance. The boy was left with severe bleeding which caused his brain to move about 5mm.

“If it hasn’t been made clear to you previously … in adults that type of injury can kill people,” Judge Kent said. The court was told the boy had completely recovered from his injuries.

While at the hospital the bruises on the boy’s buttocks were discovered.

The man admitted to hitting him three times.

Judge Kent said the smacks were above what was required in discipline.

The man’s barrister Bernard Reilly, instructed by Cooper Maloy Legal, said Child Safety had assessed the man and he was not deemed to be a threat to his children.