Peter George Melville admits he ‘overstepped the mark’ after slapping a six-year-old girl across the face

A former equestrian rider has admitted he “overstepped the mark” after he slapped his six-year-old stepdaughter, a court has heard.

A Millicent truck driver and former equestrian rider who slapped his six-year-old stepdaughter in the face has admitted he “overstepped the mark”, a court has heard.

Peter George Melville, 55, was watching his stepchild through the front windshield of his car “antagonise” his large Irish wolfhound when he stepped in and gave her a “light tap”.

A police prosecutor told the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court the child, who was sitting in the back seat of Melville’s car, was hitting the front seat with a toy.

Supplied Editorial Messenger photo request

The court heard Melville walked around to the back of the car, grabbed the toy from the child and threw it into the footwell before slapping the child and yelling at her.

“You know not to torment my f****** dog,” Melville reportedly said.

The dog was sitting next to the child, the court heard.

When Melville was confronted by his de facto partner, he told the victim’s mother to “control your f****** kid”.

The girl’s mother began to console her child, who was rubbing her cheek. When she removed the girl’s hand there was a visible red mark, the court heard.

Melville fronted court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault at an earlier date.

Peter George Melville told police his actions would have been considered “normal” when he was growing up. Picture: Arj Ganesan

When speaking to police, Melville said he had only used two fingers to deliver a “light tap”, which was refuted by the victim’s mother.

“The defendant stated that when he was growing up his behaviour would have been considered to be normal,” a police prosecutor said.

The man’s lawyer Lamorna Alexander said the slap was an “isolated incident”.

“(He) accepts his poor choice in the way he handled the situation,” Ms Alexander said.

Ms Alexander told the court the accused was fearful his large dog would harm the child, despite showing no evidence of an aggressive temperament over the past nine years.

Former jockey Peter George Melville told police he only gave the girl a “light tap”. Picture: Supplied Facebook

Ms Alexander said the man was a former equestrian rider before he moved to the South East to take a job driving logging trucks, with his peers describing him as a “respectable man” in character references to the court.

Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos rebuked the man for physically disciplining the child, saying it was no longer considered acceptable in today’s society.

“Violence is not the solution,” Ms Kossiavelos said.

“There were other ways as an adult that you could have dealt with the situation.

“Instead of taking the child or taking the dog from each other, you went to the rear of the vehicle where the child was seated and slapped her.

“That is not acceptable.”

Melville and the girl’s mother, who have been in an off-and-on relationship, are currently not together, the court heard.

Melville was handed a six-month good behaviour bond with a conviction recorded.