By Tony O’Riley-
A dad has been jailed for setting up his two children- a boy and a girl- to fight while he watched.
A nearby neighbour recorded the scene which was played at Leeds Crown Court as the boy and girl screamed in pain and begged their dad to be allowed to stop hurting each other.
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The 35-year-old father who can’t be named to protect the identity of the children, was branded a ‘bully’ by a judge who caged him for 19 months.
He could be heard on the footage saying to his daughter: ‘Smack him’, ‘take him down’ and ‘make him bleed’.
Mr Bridge said the two children could be heard in the background crying and screaming.
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The court heard that the children were under their father’s charge ever since their mother, who had separated from the defendant 18 months earlier, allowed the youngsters to stay with their father.
Giles Bridge, prosecuting, said the incident happened outside the defendant’s home in Leeds in June last year.
The defendant said he had done nothing wrong after he was arrested
He claimed he loved his children and had been teaching them self defence.
He later claimed to be suffering from mental health problems, and committed the offence after he was given the wrong medication.
Both children told police they had hurt each other because they had been forced to by their father. They said he would become angry if they refused to fight. The girl was examined and found to have injuries to her ankle and bruising to her arm, legs and chest.
Describing the daughter’s interview with police officers, Mr Bridge said: “She said it hurt her feelings and she felt sorry for her brother as he doesn’t deserve it.”
The youngsters said they had been prevented from going into the kitchen at their father’s home because of the mess. They described being nervous when they stayed with him. The son told police he had to sleep on a mattress on the floor.
He said his dad slept a lot during the day because he stayed up all night playing on his Xbox.
The defendant pleaded guilty to two offences of cruelty to a child.He has previous convictions for domestic violence towards the children’s mother which were committed when they were in a relationship together. He also has convictions for breaching court orders.
Judge Robin Mairs said the defendant had displayed a ‘scathing’ attitude towards the probation service in the past and had refused to attend a ‘building better relationships’ programme.
Sean Smith, mitigating, said his client was sorry for what he had done. He said he missed his children and did not know if he would ever see them again.
Jailing the defendant, Judge Mairs said: “You were getting them to fight each other. Not, as you said, because you wanted to teach them self defence.
“You were getting them to fight each other for your own entertainment.
“(Your daughter) explained time and time again that she did not want to. That it hurt her and it hurt her brother.
“But you became angry and forced them.
“I have heard the tapes – ‘smack him’, ‘take him down’, ‘make him bleed’ – these were your children that you were entrusted with the care of.”
The judge rejected the defendant’s claim that he carried out the abuse when he was suffering from mental illness.
Danger
He said: “It is more likely that drink and drugs disinhibited you..
“You represent a danger to your children and appropriate punishment can only be met with an immediate imposition of a custodial sentence.
“You are clearly a bully within a domestic setting.
“You have no compunction about applying violence to, or encouraging violence between, those who are weaker than you.”
The defendant was also made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting his former partner and children or going near to their school.
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