The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was ordered to attend anger management and parenting classes after he admitted to threatening to kill his daughter and punching her in the face.

Dominic Taylor, 35, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes, charged with one count each of threats of death and cruelty to children after he was accused of causing unnecessary suffering to his 12-year-old daughter on September 5.

The court heard the girl’s mother filed a complaint against the accused on her daughter’s behalf. She told police while the 12-year-old was at the defendant’s residence around 8pm that night, he came there intoxicated and asked her if she wanted something to eat. When she said no, he became upset and told her the food was not going to waste. The court was told the man’s daughter then tried calling her aunt on the phone, but the defendant grabbed it from her, punched her in the face and threatened to kill her, stating he was going to get a gun for her.

During the hearing, the defendant pleaded guilty to both charges, but said he was “disciplining” his daughter and only wanted to make sure she had something to eat. He added the 12-year-old girl was “sassy” and the entire incident ended up blowing up “out of proportion”.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Forbes accepted the man’s guilty plea and placed him on probation for one year. During that time, he ordered the defendant to attend anger management, parent training and drug counselling in respect to alcohol use. He warned the accused if he failed to comply with the terms of his probation, he would spend three months in prison.