A VALLEYS father slapped his nine-month-old son off the bed, causing him to fall and hit his neck on an open drawer, a court heard.

Paul Jeffries, 26, was jailed for 11 months for three offences, including the assault on his son.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Jeffries went round to the Blaenavon home of his former partner, Nina Phillips, in the late evening of April 19.

Prosecutor David Pugh said Jeffries, of Grove Crescent, Trevethin, knocked on the door and, despite Miss Phillips’ protestations went inside.

The court heard the couple had known each other for eight years, but had split up.

Mr Pugh said Jeffries stayed for around two-and-a-half hours, during which time the baby woke up and Miss Phillips carried him into her bedroom. Jeffries was also in the bedroom when the couple’s baby started crying and whining, at which point, Jeffries shouted at him to “shut up”.

Mr Pugh added: “He used his left hand and pushed the child in a slapping motion.”

The tot was knocked off the bed and hit an open drawer as he fell, causing a scratch on his neck.

Miss Phillips picked up her baby and asked Jeffries to leave but he became angry and threwa bedside table into a wardrobe.

He was arrested and bailed for this on April 21. On May 8, he saw Miss Phillips on a bus in Pontypool. He chased it down the street, got on and walked over to his former partner, saying “why have you done this to me?”

through gritted teeth.

Jeffries was convicted of assault by beating, damaging property and intimidation of a witness last month.

Defending, Hugh Wallace, said Jeffries “regrets deeply touching the boy at all”.

Jeffries was jailed for three months for assault and two months for the property damage, to be served concurrently, plus an eight-month consecutive sentence for witness intimidation.

He was also issued with a restraining order.

Judge John Curran said: “Anyone who hits a nine-monthold child is not going to receive anything short of immediate custody in this court.”