A WATFORD stepdad injured his partner's baby son after a heavy drinking session with the woman.

The man left his partner in a pub drinking while he went to collect the 12-month-old baby boy they had earlier left with a babysitter.

And, not long after leaving with the child, the tiny infant was found to have suffered extensive bruises and cuts about his face and head.

On Monday, the 24-year-old man, a factory supervisor, pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court to assaulting the child, and two offences of criminal damage.

An order was made that the baby, who has since made a full recovery, should not be identified.

The court heard how, in December last year, the defendant moved in with the child's mother and all three lived as a family in Watford.

On Saturday, March 31, the couple decided to go shopping in Watford town centre and left the baby, who was just over a year old, with a neighbour.

But, said Mr Justin Rouse, prosecuting, the couple ended up drinking in town centre pubs.

The defendant became heavily intoxicated and was seen falling over and, in The Horns public house in Hempstead Road, Watford, he dozed off to sleep.

A little later, he decided to leave the pub to collect the child and a taxi was called. However, such was his state, that the driver who arrived to collect him refused to allow him into the car.

Eventually, a friend dropped him off at the home of the babysitter.

His wife was still in the pub drinking and the woman babysitter put the youngster into his buggy.

The defendant and the baby left and a short while later his parents arrived at their son's home to find the baby had been injured.

Bruises were discovered about the baby's head and an ambulance took him to Watford General Hospital.

It was there the defendant turned up where, on being questioned by police officers as to how the injuries had been caused, lashed out, damaging an ambulance and a car park barrier.

At 9.23pm, he was arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

He said his memory of the events were hazy because of the drink, but he said he could recall carrying the boy home in his arms.

He then gave an account of how, back at the house, he had fallen over while carrying the baby, which is how it received its injuries.

But when the baby's injuries were examined further, the verdict from expert medical staff was that they were not accidental.

Miss Kirsty Brimelow, defending, said that what happened that night was completely out of character. She said: "He is a man of good character and this type of offence carries a certain stigma that will remain with him.

"He accepts that what he has done is terrible."

She said the man had always been a heavy drinker since leaving school at the age of 16. He habitually drank ten cans of lager a day.

She said that, since the offence, he had attended Alcoholics Anonymous and was determined to continue receiving help.

Judge Seddon Cripps said the baby had suffered bruises to its face and head, its eyes had been blackened and its lips were swollen.

He sentenced the man to six months imprisonment.

October 10, 2001 19:59