Dad in court for smacking

Father smacked his teenage daughter and son

A 42-YEAR-OLD Toowoomba man who smacked two of his teenage children has appeared before the city’s District Court.

The man, who cannot be named so as to protect the identity of his children, pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault (domestic violence offence).

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court the two children involved were the man’s 14-year-old son and 13year-old daughter.

He smacked his son a number of times to the legs with an open hand when the teenager refused to go to church on March 4, 2020, she said.

The man had argued with his 13-year-old daughter while driving her to school on October 14, 2020, and had slapped her with an open hand to the arm, chest and leg as he drove, Ms Petrie said.

When the girl returned home, she had gone to her bedroom and her father followed and slapped her again causing her pain, she said.

The man told his daughter not to go to school the next day, but she had run away to go to school with a friend and the assaults came to light, the court hear.

Ms Petrie described the assaults as “excessive discipline” but added the man had no criminal history and his pleas of guilty were early.

The young girl had since been diagnosed with ADHD and after the matters came to the attention of the school she had withdrawn from school activities and wanted to go to another school.

The children had since moved to live with their mother full time, she said.

The man’s barrister Dan Boddice told the court his client had worked in “an educational setting” and due to this offending he had lost that job.

His client had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, he said.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren said by pleading guilty the man had saved the children from having to give evidence in court.

However, he should have exercised more appropriate forms of discipline, she said.

Taking into account the man had no previous criminal history, Judge Rosengren ordered the convictions not be recorded and placed the man on a nine-month good behaviour bond with a $500 recognisance.