A St David’s man pleaded guilty to assaulting his 11-year-old son and causing him bodily harm when he appeared in Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The 49-year-old father had denied the offence, which occurred in Southampton on April 12, at a previous court appearance on April 15.

Neither the defendant nor the son can be named for legal reasons. In court yesterday, prosecutor Maria Sofianos said the boy had gone to work with his father — a construction worker who is also employed at a local hotel — and had been left in the care of the defendant’s supervisors when he “spoke out of turn”. She said the father took his son outside to speak to him about his behaviour and slapped him three times in the hallway and again outside, calling him a “freak”, a “dumb-a**” and a “c***”.

Ms Sofianos said this resulted in a laceration to the boy’s lip, as well as a superficial abrasion to his chin and bruising to his face.

The boy’s mother called the Police when she saw the injuries the next morning.

Magistrate Archibald Warner said the defendant had a history of violence and that while he is allowed to hit his son, when it goes beyond that it becomes assault. Mr Tokunbo ordered a social inquiry report and adjourned the matter to June 11 for sentencing.

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