Baby basher may pay for pub drinks

Anna Leask

A man sentenced to home detention after he bashed his 9-month-old son and partner is back behind bars.

The 20-year-old Waikato man allegedly breached the conditions of his home detention and is back inside.

Two sources said the man had gone to a pub “to celebrate” not being sent to prison.

Under the Criminal Procedure Act, no young victim can be named or identified. That means the basher’s name and image cannot legally be published anywhere.

The man was sentenced on Tuesday evening by Judge Denise Clark in the Hamilton District Court.

But less than 48 hours into that sentence, which included 160 hours of community work, he was arrested and charged with breaching his conditions.

The man had admitted wounding with reckless disregard after the attack on the baby.

Judge Clark told him in court on Tuesday: “It does seem to me with the right environment you are able to behave in quite unobstructive ways.”

According to Corrections, noncompliance with home detention conditions is treated “very seriously”.

Anyone guilty of a breach could face an internal sanction, for example a warning or increased reporting requirements; a formal breach action which may result in a further conviction, another sentence, such as community work, a fine or jail; an application to the court to replace the sentence with a more restrictive one.

Police may appeal Judge Clark’s sentence.