An Angus father has admitted assaulting his four-year-old son by throwing him against a bedroom wall.
The 25-year-old also assaulted his ex-partner and her seven-year-old son when he pushed the youngster to the ground and then hit her arm in a separate incident.
The man, who cannot be named, will be sentenced next month following the preparation of a social work report, after a sheriff said he would like to investigate a community-based disposal that would help the man to tackle the issues that led to him “snapping” with the children.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard the assault on his son came out of the blue and he picked up the child and threw him against the wall. His then partner heard a clicking sound and the child complained of a sore shoulder.
He was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and his father told staff the child had fallen downstairs. A soft tissue injury was diagnosed.
In the second incident the accused was angry about having to catch a bus and pushed his partner’s son to the ground using both hands. The relationship later ended and the woman then told police about the incidents.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said the man had immediately regretted what happened with his son and took him to casualty. His client fully accepted both incidents were entirely inappropriate in relation to children.
“He has always worked and has never troubled the courts,” Mr Rennie said, adding that the mother of the man’s two children had previously left the family home and he looked after them.
“He has had an awful lot of stresses and strains in his life to be a father of young children. I would suggest some support and recognition of the offending behaviour is the way forward.
“He is assessed as being a minimal risk.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray told the man: “I am sympathetic to the amount of time and devotion you have put into your relationship with the children but the manner in which you snapped is entirely unacceptable.
“Ordinarily the charges to which you have pled guilty almost automatically lead to a custodial sentence.
“If I were to jail you it would be for a limited period. You would serve half of that as the law stands and would be straight out with no treatment.
“It is possible to look at a community-based sentence involving a significant amount of unpaid work and a programme requirement.”