Man jailed for cruel treatment of boys

Man jailed for cruel treatment of boys

A BALLYNAHINCH man who caused “unnecessary suffering” to his son and stepson has been jailed for eight months.

The 37-year-old, who cannot be identified to protect his victims’ identities, disciplined the children after they gave him ‘back chat’, Wednesday’s sitting of Downpatrick Crown Court was told.

The boys were hit with a ruler, wooden spoon and belt, in addition to slaps and kicks.

On one occasion the elder of the boys was struck with a belt 24 times on his bottom when he was nine or ten years old. The blows were always administered to the hand, bottom or around the head.

The man admitted 13 counts of cruelty, 12 of which related to his stepson, and all of which occurred between March 2004 and May 2012.

Sitting in the dock, handcuffed to a prison officer, the man was emotionless as details of the offences were outlined to Judge David Smyth.

A prosecution barrister explained how the truth about the defendant’s behaviour emerged when his stepson told a social worker. The stepson was removed from the family home that night and put into foster care.

The court also heard that the stepson is now living with his father while his son lives with his mother. Neither of them have contact with their attacker.

The court also heard that the defendant’s behaviour “tended” to be in response to his stepson being cheeky or reminding him he was not his father.

A defence barrister said his client had “metaphorically given the older boy a clip round the ear,” adding that this way he disciplined the boys “was a type of activity commonly used in homes and schools across the country ten, 20 and 30 years ago.”

He added that the boys’ mother was privy to how he disciplined them.

“He thought he was doing the right thing and he was doing it with the full knowledge of their mother,” the defence barrister continued.

“He wrongly, in a misguided way, believed what he was doing was reasonable chastisement,” the barrister added.

Describing the man’s approach as “wholly disproportionate,” Judge Smyth said it was clear the man caused “unnecessary suffering” to the children.

The man, who is currently serving a custodial sentence in relation to other matters, will be on licence for eight months on his release from prison.

Judge Smyth also made a ruling, under the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Order, that the man is never allowed to work with children.