Sadistic father is jailed for attacks on baby girl

Joshua Stephens, 22, was told by a judge he posed a significant risk to the public as he imposed an extended prison sentence on him,

A court heard Stephens was violent to the baby from her being born until she was six weeks old when he confessed to his wife that he had hit her.

Leeds Crown Court was told Stephens slapped the girl “as hard as you would hit a man”.

On other occasions he held a pillow over her face and forced her head under water while he was giving her a bath. After admitting what he had done to his wife, Stephens went to a police station and told officers he had an overwhelming desire to hurt his daughter.

He was jailed for four years and told must serve an extended licence period of four years upon his release after pleading guilty to cruelty to a child and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, told Stephens: “It is obvious that these incidents occurred as a result of your sadistic desire to cause pain and distress to your daughter.

“This was a gross breach of trust on a vulnerable child.”

The abuse came to light on September 4 last year when Stephens hit the youngster “as hard as he could” when she woke up crying for a feed.

The baby was left with a bruised cheek. Stephen’s wife was out of the room at the time and he admitted what he had done when she returned.

Stephens, of Crowlees Road, Mirfield, also told his wife’s father about what he had done before going to Dewsbury police station and telling officers: “I hit my daughter and smothered her.”

Stephens underwent a psychiatric assessment and told a doctor he had a history of self harming and had strong urges to punch objects and use knives. The doctor diagnosed Stephens as suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and said he was prone to impulsive and unpredictable behaviour.

Judge Marson added: “There is at the moment a significant risk of serious harm to the public.”