Dad beat his baby daughter (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Dad beat his baby daughter

A HOUSE-HUSBAND who used his wife and baby as punchbags has been jailed. Andrew McQueen, 31, of Eagle Close, Covingham, admitted six counts of violence at Swindon Crown Court.

An order banning the press from fully reporting the case was passed.

But the Advertiser citing similar court cases persuaded the judge to lift the restriction, arguing that domestic violence should be exposed.

Three of the counts relate to attacks on McQueen's daughter, Selina, who was then aged just seven months.

In one attack, he gave the child a fat lip because he was angry by her screaming.

Sarah Regan, prosecuting, told the court that McQueen turned to his wife Helen, and said: "Prepare yourself for the worst she is in a bit of a bad way.'"

In another attack, the thug force-fed Selina a bottle, causing bruising to her face.

Ms Regan said the couple who have since split had been married for 13 years. Much of the relationship had been marred by violence, she said.

But McQueen plunged to new depths at the end of last year when he started venting his anger at the couple's baby daughter, Selina.

"On February 1 this year the defendant became angry because his wife lost her paying-in book. He asked her to find his boots. A lace was missing and he started screaming at her. He hit Mrs McQueen with the boots," said Ms Regan.

"On February 3, Mrs McQueen went in to see Selina. The child was continuing to cry. This caused the defendant to get angry. He grabbed her by the arms and walked her into the bedroom. She fell on to the floor. He slapped her. She had bruising to the left side of her face. He accepts four slaps to the face."

Robin Shellard, mitigating, said it was unusual for someone to admit domestic violence.

"After his arrest in February my client made full and frank admissions," said Mr Shellard.

"He accepts that what he did was wrong and he should be punished.

"This was, for some considerable time, a good relationship.

"My client was a house-husband and he had problems coping under pressure.

"He and his wife set up a successful business and my client accepts that she was largely responsible for its success."

Mr Shellard added that McQueen is a broken man. "He has lost everything, his wife, child, house and at the age of 31, his good name."

Sentencing McQueen to three years imprisonment, Judge John McNaught told the thug: "I give you credit for facing up to what you have done. But there are six offences of violence against two people you had a responsibility to protect."

Judge McNaught praised the Advertiser for challenging the Section 39 order used to protect the identity of juveniles. "I can see public interest outweighs protecting identities in this case. I agree that this child is too young to be affected by media attention," he said.

After the case, Jenni Manners, of Swindon's Women's Refuge, said: "This sounds like a horrific case. Domestic violence against an adult is bad enough but when it is perpetrated against a child it is even worse.

"I applaud the Adver and the judge for allowing the case to be reported."

Kevin Shoesmith