A Lower Makefield man is charged with beating his minor son so badly over a poor performance at a practice that he left “severe deep bruising” over a large part of the boy’s body.
The boy told police he was in the car with his 50-year-old father the night of Aug. 7 when the man started yelling at him for a “bad practice” the day before, according to a probable cause affidavit. This news organization is not reporting the name of the defendant at this time to protect the identity of his child.
The affidavit did not identify the age of the child or what type of practice he was at.
The father allegedly pulled the car into the parking lot of a fireworks store off Bellevue Avenue in Penndel, according to a probable cause affidavit.
In the parking lot, the man allegedly removed the belt he was wearing and started hitting his son with it. The boy estimated he was struck about 20 times on his back, arms and legs, the affidavit said.
On Monday, the boy and his mother filed an assault report with Penndel Police.
Police observed severe and deep bruising on a “large portion” of the child’s body, including a 4-to 5-inch diameter bruise with abrasions on his back and a 3- to 4-inch diameter bruise with abrasions on his upper left arm, the affidavit said.
The defendant was arraigned Aug. 11 before District Judge Daniel Baranowski on a felony charge of aggravated assault and related misdemeanors including endangering the welfare of children. He was released on unsecured bail.
Attorney Michael Diamondstein, who is representing the father, called his client a “kind and loving father who denies that his actions rose to the level of criminal conduct.”
“He is terribly upset that, because charges were filed, his children will now suffer,” Diamondstein said. “He looks forward to resolving these issues in a court of law and prays that the public reserve judgement and allow his family the space to heal.”
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