Man hit 4-week-old daughter on the leg, face, and head

A 23-year-old man who told gardaí he “lost the head” and hit his four-week-old baby daughter when she would not stop crying, was yesterday jailed for four years at Dundalk circuit criminal court.

The baby was in hospital for four days and treated for bruising and swelling to her head, face, and legs.

The mother said the girl has recovered physically but screams around men except her grandfather and uncle.

Judge Leonie Reynolds was told the accused, who pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the infant at a location in Louth, was in a relationship with the mother of the baby and was minding her while the mother went shopping.

The judge said it was “one of the most disturbing” cases she had come across.

Earlier on the day of the assault, Apr 2, 2012, the couple brought the infant to the GP as she was colicky. That afternoon, while his girlfriend was out, he had given the baby a bottle and she fell asleep. When she woke up 90 minutes later the baby was, he told gardaí, “crying, crying, crying”.

The court heard he put the baby on the sofa because he “couldn’t listen to her crying”. She seemed to be warm from the crying so he took off the outfit she had on and then, he told gardaí: “I don’t know what came over me. I lost the head.”

He said he slapped her with the tips of his fingers on the left leg and the top of her face and around each side of her head.

Soon after his girlfriend came home and became worried about the baby. She took her to hospital in Newry, Co Down.

There, doctors became concerned about the injuries they found and, the court heard, the baby was taken into care. She was later transferred to hospital in the Republic and placed in foster care. She was returned to the mother on Apr 19.

In a victim impact report the mother said she was “deeply shocked” when doctors told the baby had been assaulted.

The court heard the accused has not had contact with the mother or his daughter since.

The court heard he was “a young man with a history of violence” and he admitted a history of domestic violence but has shown remorse and shame at his behaviour.