Man avoids prison time after locking teen in backyard shed for seven days

A man has avoided time behind bars after he locked a teenager in a makeshift cubby house in his backyard without food, water, a bathroom or a bed for seven days.

Magistrate Andrew Miller described the father’s conduct as “abhorrent” and “disgraceful”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

A father locked his teenage son in a makeshift shed for seven days without food, water or a bathroom, before repeatedly hitting him with a wooden plank.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Liverpool Local Court where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, common assault, stalking or intimidation, neglecting a young person in his care and taking action resulting in emotional or intellectual damage.

Agreed facts state the father “failed to show any remorse for his behaviour” after he assaulted his 13-year-old son, and failed to provide him proper lodging in Sydney’s southwest.

The man appeared before Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of two years and three months to be served in the community.

The court heard the man forced the 13-year-old to sleep in a makeshift shed on his property from August 28 to September 3 last year.

“(He) would lock the child in the cubby house from 8pm to 6am the following morning and the child did not have access to a bathroom or bed,” the facts state.

“The child would take his water bottle into the cubby house and had a sleeping bag to keep warm.”

Facts state there was “no way to exit the cubby house” and despite having four walls and a roof with three windows, “one is permanently ajar and enters no light into the room”.

The court also heard the father picked up a plank of 25mm by 25mm pine wood and hit the child on the backside approximately ten times.

The court heard the father then pulled his child out of seeing a psychologist, following a suicide attempt, “out of fear” the police would be called.

The teenager disclosed the events to a teacher and deputy principal who contacted the Department of Communities and Justice.

The man was arrested on November 20 where he made “full admissions” to police.

Magistrate Andrew Miller said he was “on the border” of sending the man to jail and described his behaviour as “abhorrent” and “disgraceful”.

“Your conduct quite frankly is egregious… how someone could treat a child of that age is astounding,” he said.

The man was convicted and sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of two years and three months and must complete 50 hours of community service work.