Unpaid work for Perth man who slapped toddler so hard his head ‘wobbled’

A Perth man has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after someone witnessed him slapping a toddler so hard his head “wobbled”.

Richard McGilligan hit the child across the back of his head and told a court it was because he was having a “stressful day”.

The witness, who saw the assault from her car, later reported the incident to the child’s nursery and a social work investigation was launched.

Depute fiscal Mairi Graham told Perth Sheriff Court: “She (the witness) saw the accused strike the child on the back of the head with an open palm.

“She was shocked due to the force and recalls seeing the child’s head wobble. She put the window down and could hear the complainer crying loudly.”

McGilligan, who was not represented by a solicitor, told Sheriff Lindsay Foulis: “It had been a stressful day.

“It was a miserable day and I was hurrying to get the bus. I fully regret my actions.”

Sentencing him to 120 hours of unpaid work, Sheriff Foulis told him: “I shouldn’t need to tell you that in this day and age to behave in this way is totally unacceptable.”

McGilligan, 56, of Dunsinane Drive, Perth, admitted assaulting the three-year-old on Crieff Road on November 1 last year.