A 45-year-old man has received a five-month prison sentence for cruelty to his baby son after coming home drunk from the pub.

The Watford man was accused with committing a catalogue of abuse on the 16-month-old baby in the family home, before police were called on Wednesday, October 28.

Officers were told the man, who has a number of previous convictions, slapped the baby around the face and spat tea on his head.

He was accused of goading the baby to fight by punching towards his cot saying things like: "Are you going to fight me or just lie there?"

The father was initially alleged to have thrown the baby, however, no injuries were discovered.

He threw a brick through the windscreen of his mother-in-law's Ford Mondeo and during arrest was alleged to have assaulted PC Paul Boutureira.

He denied the most severe allegations, but admitted child cruelty at a previous hearing for picking up the baby roughly.

He also pleaded guilty to criminal damage to the vehicle.

Charges relating to the alleged assault of PC Boutureira were not pursued by the prosecution.

The man admitted being drunk that night after consuming three quarters of a bottle of whisky and returning home from the pub in a bad mood.

He denied the allegations made by the boy's mother and mother-in law, accepting only to picking the baby up forcefully.

The basis of the plea was accepted by the prosecution and a trial was halted part way through.

The defendant had been remanded in custody until March, the equivalent of an eight-month sentence Richard Germain, defending, told St Albans Crown Court Tuesday.

Mr Germain asked the judge not to impose a further sentence, bearing in mind the time spent in custody after his arrest, and the account accepted by the prosecution.

Mr Germain said: "He admits picking up the child rather roughly.

"He does not have a bad record. It has been quite bad in the past, but he seems to have matured in recent years and this is an isolated incident."

The defendant was banned while on bail from seeing his son, but now plans to gain access through the civil courts.

Mr Germain said: "He loves his son. The only time he opened his mouth in interview was to deny how he was said to have behaved with the baby."

A psychiatric report showed the defendant was not suffering from any mental illness, however a report by probation raised concerns about him.

Judge Martin Griffith imposed a five-month prison sentence, which with 128 days on remand to count, means the defendant will be released immediately.

Judge Griffith said: "You should be aware the probation officer has clearly considered there is more to this than meets the eye.

"You had a psychiatric report and there is nothing wrong with you.

"I must sentence you on the basis agreed, and being drunk and behaving as you did with a child crosses the custody threshold.

"With credit for the days served you should be released today."