Man who knocked baby to the floor before lying about it dodges jail

Scott Withington, 29, pleaded guilty to assault by beating after staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital raised concerns about the child’s injuries and contacted the police.

Officers were called to the emergency department after the baby was brought in with head injuries.

But staff were concerned a number of different explanations were given as to how the little boy had come to be injured.

They were also concerned that at 13 months old the child did not appear to be sufficiently developed to have hurt himself in the way that was described.

Withington, of Percy Street, Blackpool, accepted he was responsible for hurting the baby, saying he had pushed the boy out of his way when he was playing near his feet.

He told officers he was unsure whether he used his hand or his foot but accepted he had assaulted him.

As a result, the little boy fell over and bumped his head on a wooden settee, Preston Crown Court heard.

At the time of the attack, Withington was also subject to a suspended sentence, imposed at Bolton Crown Court for arson, after he started a bin fire near a church in the town.

Judge Ian Leeming, sentencing, said: “He (the child) was taken to hospital with bruises to the head - not insignificant ones, but not so great as to be considered actual bodily harm.

“The medical people were not satisfied with the version of events given as to how these injuries were sustained.

“It was untruthfully said that he had fallen and bruised his head by bumping it on a wooden part of the sofa.

“You pushed him with your hand or foot when he was getting in the way. That is why he went over.”

Judge Leeming handed Withington a one year community order and ruled he must carry out a 35 day rehabilitation requirement.

He also handed him a curfew for eight weeks and fined him £100 with £100 costs for breaching his suspended sentence.