Social services in Stockton under fire after dad harmed children

SOCIAL services in Stockton have come under fire for “serious failures” after a dad was allowed to repeatedly harm his children.

The authority’s social care department were accused of “turning a blind eye” to the aggressive punishment of two girls at Teesside Crown Court.

The dad, who cannot be identified, has avoided going to jail after a judge concluded he was not a vindictive sadist but a man out of his depth.

Judge Howard Crowson said prison would also hurt the children, one of whom wrote a letter to the judge.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said the dad neglected his two daughters and repeatedly mistreated them physically.

He was meant to give them a loving, stable home after they were removed from their mother’s care due to neglect.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the abuse came to light when one of the children went to school with a mark on her head. Her dad had rubbed her head into a carpet.

The man in his 30s also got both girls to hold the “plank position”, a push-up-style exercise, and kicked them if they failed to do so.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said they were made to run up and down stairs and face the wall with their hands on their heads if they were naughty.

He once put their toys in a bin liner and threw them away.

When social services went to the house, they noticed a strong smell of urine, which the dad was from his dogs.

The dad admitted seven counts of child cruelty, his first criminal offences.

The girls are no longer living with him, though he still has supervised access to them. It was said they were concerned about their father and hoped to keep contact with him.

Robert Mochrie, defending, said: “He knows that what he did to his children was unforgivable.”

He said the dad took them on with good intentions but struggled to deal with their upbringing and their “difficult” behaviour.

There was a “serious failure” on social services’ part, added Mr Mochrie, as the dad was referred to the department and pressed them for help.

“It must have been obvious to a half-competent employee in social services that they were dealing with a struggling family environment,” he added.

“It would appear that a blind eye has been turned here.

“His own appalling conduct has been allowed to manifest and fester without any assistance whatsoever. It’s deeply, deeply troubling.”

Judge Howard Crowson said the letter from one of the girls showed she was forgiving and still had a great deal of love for her father.

He told the dad in the dock: “You’re someone who simply couldn’t cope, and chose to cope by inappropriate and aggressive behaviour towards these children.

“I’m satisfied that you’re a man who wanted help but didn’t get it rather than a vindictive sadist.”

The judge said he had intended to lock the father up, but jailing him would hurt his children. “I have no intention of adding to the harm,” he said.

He passed a 45-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months with supervision and a nine-week tagged curfew.

Stockton Council declined to comment.