Gympie dad in court for assaulting young son

The nine-year-old Gympie boy was hit so hard his injuries resulted in Child Safety removing he and his brothers and sisters from their father’s care. Warning: distressing content.

The father of nine lost his temper at his son after seeing him destroy a new pair of school shoes. Generic image. Photo: iStock

A 38-year-old Gympie region father and former business owner has been convicted of assaulting his nine-year-old son and leaving him with bruising to his face because he damaged a new pair of school shoes.

The man, who cannot be named under court order, sobbed at the bar table in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday as the facts of case were read out to the court.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, possessing marijuana and unlawfully possessing utensils to smoke the drug.

The court heard the assault began when the man, a single dad of multiple children, saw his son cutting the shoelaces on his new school shoes.

The child said his father then used the new shoes to hit him across the head, in the left eye socket, leaving the boy bruised.

Concerns were raised over the child’s welfare when he stopped going to school, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Jamiee Burns said her client was the sole carer and financial provider for the boy and his siblings, and had tried to speak with his son but lost his temper.

She said after the incident the Department of Child Safety removed the children, and the school shoes were taken by police for evidence.

Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said the man had since been doing everything possible to reunite his family.

Ms Burns said the children’s removal devastated her client.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan said the man was lucky he didn’t injure the boy more seriously.

“He had worked to obtain housing to accommodate himself and all the children,” she said.

She said a brain injury suffered in 2014 following a car accident affected her client’s memory, and caused him to get confused, disoriented and frustrated.

The man was sentenced to 60 hours community service over 12 months, and placed on 12 months probation.

A conviction was not recorded for the assault charge, but a conviction was recorded for the drug charges.

The school shoes were returned to the young boy.