A LIMERICK man has admitted assaulting his step-daughter with a leather belt and buckle for giving him cheek when he asked for her mobile phone after she stayed out late, a court has heard.
The man, who is in his 30s and a father of two younger children, cannot be named for legal reasons,
At Limerick District Court, the man entered a guilty plea to the charges of assault which are said to have occurred at an apartment on the south side of the city early last summer.
The girl’s injuries, to her jaw, arms, chest and thigh, were noticed the next day when she went to school.
Social workers notified Gardaรญ who interviewed the man two days later.
The court heard that the 13-year-old had stayed out late and did not answer calls from her mother and step-father who were trying to find out where she was.
When she returned home, the man took her phone and questioned her about the company she was keeping.
He said she gave him “back cheek” and he lost his temper. He struck her five times with a leather belt with a buckle.
His solicitor told the court that he didn’t have the skills to deal with teenagers, but was attending Barnardos parenting classes to learn how to cope better in future.
He was remanded on continuing bail to March 30 when a series of reports will be available to the court.
