A drunk dad has been jailed after punching his baby son in the face because his girlfriend wouldn’t allow him to go to an amusement arcade.

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23-year-old Lee Merrett went into a tantrum meltdown where he hit his girlfriend over 20 times before turning on his nine-month-old kid. Reports state that he had in fact necked an entire bottle of Jack Daniel’s – that in no way excuses his behaviour but it can’t have helped the situation.

In his tipsy state, Merrett decided he wanted to go to play in an amusement arcade while on a caravan holiday in Kent. The poor woman didn’t even outright say no – she just asked if he would stay with their child. A domestic broke out sparked by his heavy drinking which, as said, led to the baby punching, leaving him with a black eye. Savage. Scott Brady, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court, that Merrett also head-butted his girlfriend:

It was at this point she managed to escape from the caravan and she went to a number of caravans, banging on the doors, until she found someone to let her and her child inside, and called the police.

Brady also told Merrett:

You punched your young child in the face, causing bruising.

Violence against a child of his age is frankly unforgivable.

It was a disgraceful and cowardly act. It was your job to protect your child, not subject him to violence.

Fair comment. I mean, it’s not even forgivable for a man to beat up a woman, but a baby? That’s sick. And all because he was gagging to get on them 2p machines (although I do get that those things are the best). But still, unforgivable really.

Although he’s not as bad as this guy who killed his entire family over his son’s haircut.