Dad jailed for whipping defenceless primary school-aged pupil with Apple MacBook cable

A DAD whipped his defenceless primary school-aged daughter with an Apple computer charging cable, a court heard.
A police officer was assaultedA police officer was assaulted
A police officer was assaulted

The youngster was left with red lines up to 14cm in length on her back, legs and arms after the cruel punishment for '˜poor behaviour' at work.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the dad, who cannot be named as a court order bans the identification of his child, has a '˜misplaced understanding' of discipline.

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His lawyer argued for a suspended sentence but a judge said: '˜I haven't any doubt because of the serious nature of the circumstances it is quite impossible for me to suspend the sentence and the only appropriate punishment in these circumstances against a defenceless child is that you serve an immediate prison sentence.'

A police officer was assaultedA police officer was assaulted
A police officer was assaulted

Jailing the defendant for a year, judge Roger Hetherington said: '˜There really is no excuse for what you did.

'˜You may have a misplaced understanding of what might or might not be appropriate discipline but you must have realised it was completely beyond the pale to have assaulted your own daughter in this way.'

He added: '˜This was of course a gross abuse of trust and power on your part.'

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Prosecutor Martyn Booth told how the attack happened when the pair were alone together at home '“ meaning the young girl had no-one to turn to for help.

Judge Hetherington added: '˜No-one can know what psychological damage may have been caused in addition, but plainly there will have been some.'

The dad, who is in his 20s and lives in the wider Portsmouth area, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. A charge of neglect was dropped by prosecutors.

When the injuries were found, the dad said: '˜I did beat her, it wasn't with a coat hanger, it was with a small whip.

'˜I've done it before, I'm not having her being rude.'

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Police were called in and the child was interviewed by police, telling officers she had been '˜slapped with a wire,' Mr Booth said.

Their home was searched and a cable found on the sofa was seized.

The court heard the girl, now in care, had been beaten with a belt around a month before she was whipped.

Robert Harding, for the defendant, said his client was under a '˜heavy burden' and stress raising the girl '˜whilst he was still a child himself'.

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He added: '˜The defendant didn't know what he was doing was wrong with the daughter, at the time I think there was a lack of awareness.'

The judge took a starting point of an 18-month term but reduced this by a third as the dad admitted his guilt at the first opportunity.