Man admits burning boy’s face
A Christchurch man has admitted burning the face of his five-year-old son with a fan heater after losing his temper because of a scorch mark on the carpet.
Christchurch District Court Judge Alistair Garland remanded the man in custody for sentencing on November 13 and granted name suppression to protect the child’s identity, at the request of the family.
The 46-year-old unemployed man pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to disfigure the child.
He has been in custody since his arrest soon after the July 20 incident, at his Christchurch home, where he was with his son and younger daughter at the time.
Police say a fan heater appeared to have been knocked over, causing scorching to the floor.
The man became angry and lost his temper because of the damage.
“He took hold of the heater and forcibly pushed the hot metal protective grill at the front of the heater onto the boy’s face causing deep burns to his facial skin,” said the summary of facts presented by Crown prosecutor Karyn South.
The boy was hospitalised with severe burns to most of the right side of his face and ear.
“Some of the burns are so significant that they have passed through all the layers of his skin,” she said.
Police executed a search warrant at the house next day and arrested the man.
“A fan heater was recovered. A preliminary examination of the heater appears to show burnt skin tissue adhering to the protective grill,” said Miss South.
The man admitted holding the heater against the boy after becoming angry.
Judge Garland was handed a list of the man’s previous convictions after the guilty plea. He asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Bryan Green appeared as defence counsel for the man.
At the time, the police described the boy’s injuries as horrific. They said third degree burns had been caused from his eyebrows to his chin, and would require major surgery including skin grafts to reduce the disfigurement.
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