An Angus man who slapped his four-year-old son on the head after he ran off has been fined £300.
The child had been out shopping with his parents in Brechin when he walked off in the centre of town. His parents shouted out to him but he ran away.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said the accused who, to preserve the child’s anonymity, can’t be named was concerned the boy might run out into the road and so ran after him.
She said: “He got a hold of his son and gave him two slaps on the head for running away.”
A witness later called the police to report the incident. Police attended at the man’s address and charged him.
At Forfar Sheriff Court, the 35-year-old man admitted assaulting the child in June last year by repeatedly slapping him on the head.
Defence agent Brian Bell said the child had suffered no injury, but it had been made plain to his father that he had handled the situation in the wrong way and that his actions were inappropriate and not acceptable.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said the accused had been in a situation that would make any parent “somewhat anxious.”
He told the accused: “The way that you ultimately dealt with what I’m sure was an anxious situation was not appropriate, in that you struck a child.”