Tyre businessman slapped son after car crashed into fence in Riverwood

A businessman has questioned why he was arrested for “slapping my son in the face” after the 17-year-old crashed his father’s car into two parked cars and a fence with his two mates inside.

A 44-year-old father pleaded guilty to assaulting of his son after he crash his father’s ute in Riverwood. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A father who told police “I can hit my own son” has admitted to the outburst after his teenage son crashed his car on the weekend.

A 44-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared for the first time in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to common assault.

Emergency services were called to Bonds St, Riverwood, following reports of a single vehicle crash just after midnight on Saturday.

St George police officers arrived to find a ute had collided with two parked cars before crashing into a fence.

The driver — the man’s 17-year-old son — and two male passengers aged 17 and 20 were uninjured.

The father will be sentenced next month.

Agreed facts tendered to court said the teenager was “uncooperative with police” and refused to provide details of who was driving prompting police to contact the registered owner – the boy’s father.

A short time later the father, who runs his own tyre business, arrived at the accident scene and told officers his son was driving.

The man became “incredibly frustrated” with his son and tried to convince him to answer the officers’ questions and follow their directions.

The boy was sitting on the ground against a fence when his father grabbed the hood of his son’s jumper and pushed him into the fence in a sudden jolt.

The father tapped his son’s cheek to make him face him and officers gave the father a verbal warning about lawfully chastising his son.

When the teen was getting items out of the car, police officers heard a loud thud, consistent with a slap of the open hand.

Officers saw the father, with clenched fists, standing over his son who was on the ground and arrested him.

“I can hit my own son,” the man told officers.

He was escorted from the property and said, “you’re arresting me for slapping my son in the face?”

The father was taken to St George Police Station and charged.

In the brief mention in court, the man pleaded guilty and the case was adjourned August 8 for sentence.

An apprehended violence order prohibiting the father from assaulting, threatening or harming his son was also finalised.