Dad pleads guilty to assaulting son; beat boy with electrical cord (Hamlin Heights, Australia)

Is UNNAMED DAD a single father? Notice that while there is mention of DHS involvement, there is no mention of a mother in the home or anywhere else. What happened to this boy's mom?

Also notice that this abusive father still had unrestricted weekend visitation. Typical father fawning. 

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/07/20/369640_news.html

Dad whipped son with electrical cord

Anthea Cannon | July 20th, 2013

A HAMLYN Heights father crossed the line when he whipped his son with an electrical cord and smacked him, a Geelong magistrate has ruled.

The father of two pleaded guilty to assault charges yesterday after his son reported three incidents to police and was placed in Department of Human Services' care.

Police Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Geoff Lamb said between March 11 and 16 this year, the two argued and the father used the cord of a CD player to whip the boy's forearm, smacked him twice on his bottom and grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against a wall.

Sen-Constable Lamb said the father told police he had been "kicking himself" about the incidents and did not realise his own strength.

Eleven photos of the boy's welts and bruising were presented in court.

Defence lawyer Domenic Care said his client cried after one of the incidents and knew it was no way to treat a child.

Mr Care told the court the boy had Attention Deficit Disorder and had been in trouble at school when the father sat down to speak to him about it.

He said despite being in DHS care, the son was allowed overnight and weekend stays and wanted to come home permanently.

"My client is otherwise of exceptional character," Mr Care said.

Magistrate Stephen Myall requested the DHS hearing orders which will see the father's parenting "tested and assessed" for the next 26 weeks, working towards reunification.

"These are difficult cases and important prosecutions," he said. "Parents are required to do no more than lawfully correct. You were taking steps to correct (behaviour) but they were not responsible and not moderate.

"I do accept you are remorseful and (it has been) a traumatic and difficult experience. You brought the matter to police attention because (your son) left home."

Mr Myall said he gave "anxious consideration" to whether to impose a conviction, which would jeopardise the father's job, but because of the DHS plan, the guilty plea and remorse he did not.

The father was ordered to pay $2000 to the court fund and placed on a good behaviour bond for two years.