Christopher Noble, 38, from Oldham, who has borderline personality disorder and PTSD, said he was ‘fed up’ with the boy crying (pictured leaving Manchester Crown Court yesterday)
A babysitter has been spared jail despite beating a one-year-old boy about the face because he was ‘struggling’ to cope with looking after the child.
Christopher Noble, 38, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, said he was getting ‘fed up’ because the tot would not stop crying because he was teething.
He also threatened to lock the child in the bathroom during the incident.
Noble pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court and was handed a four-month custodial sentence, suspended for a year.
The incident happened in October last year when Noble was tasked with looking after the young boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The court heard how Noble had sent a text message to the boy’s carer, saying he would ‘put him in the bathroom’ if he did not stop, and when she suggested he give him Calpol to help with the pain, he replied saying that she shouldn’t ‘treat him like he’s stupid’.
The next morning, he texted the carer again, asking her to come and look at the boy whose face was ‘a mess’.
The carer burst into tears at the sight of the boy’s face and rushed him to hospital.
Prosecutor Verity Quaite said: ‘There was an agreement between the defendant and the child caregiver that he would have the child overnight at weekends.
‘On October 13th, the defendant picked up the child on Saturday morning and at 11pm the child’s carer received a text from the defendant asking how the child had been sleeping.
‘The defendant told the child’s career that he was getting fed up and would put him in the bathroom if he carried on crying.
‘She replied that he was teething and the defendant should give him Bonjela and Calpol.
‘He responded he had already given him painkillers and she should stop treating him as if he were stupid.
Christopher Noble (pictured leaving Manchester Crown Court) pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and was given a four-month suspended sentence
‘In the morning she received a call from the defendant saying: ‘You need to come and look at the boy he has been hurt, I don’t know what happened, his face is a mess’.
‘She cried when she saw the boy, he had numerous bruises to the face. He was taken to hospital and kept in until October 16.
‘A medical exam revealed three marks to the right eye and forehead, which were adult finger marks. There was bruising under the right eye, small circular bruising on the left forehead.
Noble sent her an unsolicited message in the afternoon saying: ‘I don’t know what happened overnight I would never harm the boy. I have never raised a hand I’m not a violent person. I don’t know why I didn’t wake up I have not been able to sleep since this illness started.’
‘He was arrested and interviewed, and he gave full account in that interview, he had been fed up with the boy screaming out and waking him up. He had never intended to put him in the bathroom.’
Thomas Mckail, mitigating, said: ‘It is out of character and there are no convictions for violence.
‘There was a build-up of difficulties he was having coping with the child. He acknowledges he was struggling, and matters have escalated. He speaks of having no recollection.
‘He has expressed genuine remorse.’
Sentencing Noble, Judge Maurice Greene said: ‘There were red marks on his forehead, it seems to be suggested that was caused by putting pressure of your fingers onto his forehead.
‘Clearly in a fit of temper and loss of control it is serious, it has caused unpleasant bruising to a very vulnerable young child. You were in a position of trust.
‘You have not been in trouble for 20 years and have no previous convictions of violence.
‘You have a terrible background and a mental disability of which you are due to seek psychiatric help.
‘You have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. You also have emphysema which reduces your mobility.’
Noble will have to complete 20 rehabilitation requirement days and be under an electronic curfew between 8pm and 6am for two months.