Drunk dad who broke arm of premature baby walks free from court (Pendle, England)

The usual coddling of an abusive daddy, in this case an UNNAMED DAD.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/9233019.Pendle_dad_who_broke_his_baby_s_arm_given_suspended_sentence/

Pendle dad who broke his baby's arm given suspended sentence


10:58am Monday 5th September 2011

By Wendy Barlow
Court reporter

A YOUNG dad who broke his premature weeks-old baby’s arm has walked free from court.

The defendant, now 22, had broken the bone in the baby’s arm into two separate pieces.

The dad, who had had a drinking session until about midnight the night before, had yanked the eight-week-old infant up off the floor after he fell off his chest when the defendant fell asleep on the couch, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The youngster, described by his father as the best thing that ever happened to him, was immediately taken to hospital for treatment after the ‘reckless’ early hours incident on December 6, 2009.

Apart from the injury, medics found the child was well cared for.

The defendant, who lives in Pendle, is employed and now sees the child under supervision, admitted child cruelty.

He was given nine months in jail, suspended for a year, with a 12-week, curfew.

The defendant must also do 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £400 costs.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the baby, born eight weeks prematurely, suffered a complete fracture of the left upper arm.

The dad, arrested and interviewed on December 9, told police he had fed the baby at about 3am and his partner had changed his nappy.

The defendant had then lain down on the settee and put the infant on his chest to wind him.

He had fallen asleep and woke to find the child on the floor, screaming.

He panicked, gripped the infant’s arm and yanked him up off the floor into a standing position.

He noticed the baby’s arm was floppy and every time he moved it, the infant screamed.

Kevin Preston, for the defendant, said he accepted full culpability for what happened.

The incident was a one-off and the defendant had shown genuine remorse and was traumatised.