Cruel South Yorkshire dad locked-up after assaulting his baby daughter

A young father has been locked-up after he was captured on camera treating his baby daughter cruelly before he shook and threw her in the air.
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Sheffield Crown Court heard today, Monday, February 3, how the 20-year-old, from Barnsley, was filmed by a relative at the family home over two-hours in August, 2019, after they had grown concerned for the child’s safety.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said the defendant’s daughter had been unsettled when he hit her on the head, pushed her roughly with his foot and used bad language before his behaviour became worse.

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The court heard the defendant, who has no previous convictions, continued to treat his daughter roughly when she was on his knee on the sofa.

A cruel father who assaulted his baby daughter has been put behind bars after he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court.A cruel father who assaulted his baby daughter has been put behind bars after he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court.
A cruel father who assaulted his baby daughter has been put behind bars after he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court.

Judge Richardson told the defendant: “This culminated in serious conduct three minutes later when you threw her onto the sofa and held her on either side of her head and were shaking her back-and-forth and you had her by the throat and then threw her into the air and caught her by the head.

“And that conduct can only be categorised as exceptionally dangerous and cruel.”

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect the identity of the child, pleaded guilty to child cruelty and to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

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His daughter suffered multiple bruises and was taken to hospital and has since been placed into the care of the local authority.

Judge Richardson said: “For any parent or carer to throw a child, let alone an infant, into the air, even a short way, and catch the child deliberately by the head is not merely very poor parenting, it is exceptionally bad parenting and it’s also dangerous.”

Judge Richardson described the defendant as someone who can violently erupt when he cannot resolve a situation and as someone with a low frustration tolerance leading to angry outbursts.

The defendant, who was spoken of highly in references, made admissions to police and stated he had “lost it” and had reacted when his daughter was crying and unsettled.

Judge Richardson sentenced the defendant to 18 months of detention in a Young Offenders’ Instituti