A Griffith man who viciously assaulted his son as a means of discipline has told police the 14-year-old boy should have been the one charged.
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The man faced Griffith Local Court on Wednesday, April 12 charged with common assault after police were called to a home outside of Griffith in March when the boy requested their help following his assault at the hands of his father.
The assault was witnessed by the boy’s five-year-old step-sister.
The events unfolded on Thursday, March 28 when the 35-year-old man, his partner and their two children were living with the man’s parents.
The boy was kicking a football in the backyard when it rebounded off a wall, striking his step-sister in the back and causing the five-year-old to run inside and say the boy had done it on purpose.
At 6.30pm the boy’s father came out into the backyard and began a verbal argument with the 14-year-old over the incident.
The argument escalated to the point where the boy said he feared his father would assault him and in self-defence he threw a punch, which failed to connect.
The attempt angered the boy’s father and in retaliation for the missed punch he physically assaulted his son by first punching him with a closed fist to the chest, winding the 14-year-old.
The father then took hold of his son’s head and kneed him to the face, causing him significant pain.
Both of the boy's grandparents also witnessed the assault and rushed to his aid.
The boy’s grandfather dragged the father off his grandson resulting in the two men exchanging blows, while the boy’s grandmother attempted to calm the father down, but to no avail as he quickly became verbally abusive towards her.
Arriving on the scene, police spoke with the father who was then sitting in a vehicle in the driveway as well as his partner, with the woman becoming verbally abusive towards police.
The primary concern of police arriving on the scene was the fact the father had assaulted his teenage son in a manner “that could not suffice lawful chastisement,” according to police facts.
However, the father told police he wanted his son charged, as the 14-year-old had thrown the first punch and his subsequent retaliation had been in self-defence.
Police told the man his actions in the circumstances were completely unreasonable.
The boy later had to be taken to Griffith Base Hospital for treatment, after complaining of soreness to his chest and swelling to his forehead.
The man pleaded guilty to the charge and received a 12 month good behaviour bond.
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