Last updated at 16:33, Thursday, 01 November 2012

A DAD has appeared before magistrates for smacking his 13-year-old son’s bottom with a slipper.

The 33-year-old, who cannot be named in order to protect his son’s identity, committed the offence in their Barrow home on October 4.

Mr John Appleby, prosecuting, told Furness Magistrates’ Court the matter came to light the following day when a member of staff overheard the boy talking at school.

The matter was reported to the school’s safety officer who then spoke with the boy.

He said his dad struck him on the bottom five times with a trainer.

The safety officer could see no marks on the boy, but he said he was “very scared” and had been in tears.

The dad told police he felt “terrible”, but said there had been problems with his children and recently there had been “more downs than ups” in the home.

He told police he hit his son “three or four times” with a slipper, not a trainer, after the boy used foul language towards him.

He said he did not use his hardest force, but confirmed his son had been in tears and was sent to his room.

Mr Trystan Roberts, defending, told the court on Tuesday: “He has perhaps behaved inappropriately and gone too far in terms of disciplining and let his frustrations about life get to him. He has shown an enormous amount of remorse and bitterly regrets his actions and it’s not likely to happen again.”

The dad admitted assault by beating.

Proceedings were adjourned until Tuesday for the preparation of a probation report and the dad was granted unconditional bail.

First published at 09:54, Thursday, 01 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk