Man jailed for bat attack on child (Update)

A 46-year-old man who hit a boy repeatedly with a cricket bat was today jailed for 90 days.

Glenn Fox pleaded guilty last month to assaulting the 14-year-old boy and causing bodily harm on June 2.

He also admitted possession of a cricket bat at the time.

In last month’s hearing, the court heard the boy was on the playground of the property at 4:50pm that day playing cricket when Fox approached him.

Fox said: "I'm going to deal with you, you little a**."

He then took the bat out of his hands and struck him with it repeatedly. 

The boy fell to the ground and Fox continued to hit him with the bat.

A resident broke up the altercation and Fox was later confronted by the boy’s father.

The boy was taken to hospital where he was treated for bruises to his body. 

Fox was arrested and admitted in a police interview to “cutting the boy’s a**”.

Duty Counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson told the court Fox claimed the boy was gang affiliated and was disrupting the area. She said Fox was trying to “right the wrong”.

But in court today, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner blasted Fox for disciplining someone else’s child, especially after admitting to having been drinking that day.

“Your record indicated that you are a man of violence and have convictions for offences of violence.

“In the circumstances, you dare to go and hit someone’s child when in an impaired state of mind through alcohol.

“Then persuade this court that you were this goodie-two-shoes who was attempting to discipline this young man.

“But the evidence and your behaviour don’t indicate that.”

He continued: “You can’t get drunk or be drinking and go and beat up people’s children.

“You have been on remand since June 5. In the circumstances, considering what was said in the social inquiry report and the only mitigating that you have in your favour is now that you’re sober, you have indicated some remorse in your guilty plea.”

Mr Warner sentenced him to 90 days in prison from June 2.

Fox was also given two years probation with conditions including no associating with individuals who engage in illegal activities, random drug tests, assessment for life skills programmes and assessment for alcohol and drug programmes.