Judge sentences 'a changed father'

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A New Plymouth father who said he was following Bible's teachings when he whacked his son with an alkathene pipe, kicked and hit him, has avoided jail after conceding he was in the wrong.

The elderly man had earlier pleaded guilty in the New Plymouth District Court to assaulting his school-aged son with a length of black alkathene pipe and two charges of assaulting the child in November and December last year.

The man, who has been given permanent name suppression to protect the identity of the boy, was to be sentenced on February 12.

At that time, Judge Allan Roberts said he was considering jailing the man because of his refusal to change his ways.

But the man's lawyer, Paul Keegan, argued against jail, saying that his client had indeed changed.

With that, the judge postponed sentencing and ordered a new pre-sentencing report.

Yesterday, Mr Keegan said his client was attending parenting sessions and had taken part in a family group conference with Child Youth and Family.

"He realises now his actions were illegal and unacceptable," Mr Keegan said.

Judge Roberts said he had been alarmed when he read the first report, which said the father would not do anything to better his parenting skills and would continue to discipline his child as he saw fit.

The new report demonstrated an apparent change in the father's attitudes, the judge said.

The father had agreed to in future seek help from church members and attend a parenting course, Judge Roberts said.

The man's assaults on his son were nothing whatever to do with religion, the judge told him.

"You were wrong to shelter under religion," the judge said.

The father was sentenced to nine months' supervision during which he is to attend and complete anger management and parenting courses and any other programmes his probation officer deemed suitable.

- © Fairfax NZ News