Father admits bodily harm charge after disciplining nine-year-old daughter

A father who pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm to his nine-year-old daughter while he was disciplining  her was yesterday placed on $30,000 bail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court pending a probation report.

The acting chief magistrate ordered the prosecution to obtain a probation report in order for her to determine the man’s sentence on October 14.

On October 4 the accused inflicted grievous bodily harm to his daughter. According to the facts presented to the court by Prosecutor Lionel Harvey,  on the day in question the child  was at a party at Laing Avenue when the man saw his daughter behaving in an inappropriate manner. Harvey stated that as a result the defendant dealt the VC a slap to her face and took her to her mother so that she could deal with the matter but  in the process of doing so he took a wire and dealt the child several lashes about her body.

The defendant in his response admitted to slapping his child but denied beating her with a wire: “I never beat her with a wire.  I took my belt and gave her couple lashes. I did not do this in a passionate manner… I scold her because of her attitude… lately my daughter has been very rude to people in the community even my mother whom she lives with… she is very stubborn… her mother and me separate and I have been taking care of her since she was 4 months old.”

The East La Penitence resident who told the court that he is a mason is expected to make another court appearance on Friday.