Child attacker free

A NORTH Queensland child basher who hit a three- yearold boy as many as 10 times in the head has dodged a prison sentence.

The young victim had been complaining about an iPad, Magistrate Peter Smid heard, when his stepfather in a rage slapped the child five to 10 times in the face and head.

Police prosecutor Sergeant John Moran said police were called to a house in Phillipson Rd about 8.30pm on Septem- ber 23, 2017. Officers said the boy had a large number of red marks on his face, a small amount of blood under his nose, a bump and abrasion above his left eye and left ear, his lips were swollen and he had a large red mark in the shape of a man’s palm on his left cheek.

The 27- year- old Charters Towers man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fronted Townsville Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm. Defence barrister Justin Gregory argued the defendant had been a good stepfather and was from a respected Charters Towers family.

“It was a spontaneous loss of control,” Mr Gregory said.

“There was turbulence in the relationship with ( the child’s mother).

“It arises out of frustration in respect to an iPad that had been brewing all night.”

Mr Gregory claimed the man had been heavily involved in getting the child back in its mother’s custody after the boy’s biological father took him. The barrister said the defendant had paid for family court legal fees and as a consequence was beaten, quite severely, by the child victim’s father who was later charged with assault.

The prosecution sought a sentence of imprisonment which Mr Smid said he was considering but ultimately decided against.

“The injuries have been described in the medical report … they are nothing to be proud of,” Mr Smid said.

“They could not be called horrific but siderable.”

However, Mr Smid said he did not believe the man posed a danger to any child, including his victim, moving forward.

“In fact, I think now that if you were allowed to you would become a good parent or surrogate parent or suitor parent to the young child who you assaulted,” Mr Smid said.

The man was placed on a two- year probation order, meaning he must see a probation officer when requested and not commit any offence. they were con-