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Homophobic dad who beat six-year-old son for sitting on another boy’s lap jailed

“If they were adults, I would have killed them," the father said, according to reports.

By Jamie Tabberer

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Pexels (posed by model)

A father in Australia who beat his six-year-old son for sitting in another boy’s lap has been jailed.

The Queensland man, who has not been named, must serve three years in jail for the crime.

A court reportedly heard the man thought he was walking in on a “sexual engagement” before beating the child, while allegedly adding: “If they were adults, I would have killed them.”

“Being gay is wrong”

According to the Courier Mail (as per MailOnline), the father-of-three’s wife tried to prevent the beating, which caused bruising to the boy’s leg.

The man, in his late 20s, is also said to have yelled “being gay is wrong,” before pushing his wife against a wall and choking her, telling her “you better f*** me after this.”

The incident reportedly took place over several days. A welfare visit led to his arrest last August.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said the moment when he found his son “triggered something in him, he wasn’t able to cope with it.”

The dad told police: “It’s hard to explain it, I caught my boy sitting on another boy’s lap, this is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“I’m a piece of s***. I shouldn’t have put my hands on my kid, but [as] a matter of fact I have.”

According to the Mail, the man was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, choking, attempting to pervert justice, five counts each of common assault, and contravening a domestic violence order and police protection orders. He pleaded guilty to all charges at Mackay District Court on Monday (23 August 2021). 

The man has served 371 days in pre-trial custody, and will be eligible for release before Christmas.