A MAN accused of holding a five-year-old boy under water in a stream is to undergo a medical assessment before being sentenced for child cruelty.
Wayne Ellwood pleaded guilty to child cruelty at Durham Crown Court in May, after prosecutors agreed not to pursue the original allegation that he intentionally caused the boy grievous bodily harm.
The incident happened at Castle Eden Dene, near Peterlee, east Durham, on Sunday, November 22, last year.
The child was treated in hospital for suspected hypothermia.
Ellwood, 20, of Attlee Avenue, in nearby Blackhall, was due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday.
However, Judge John Evans adjourned the case after hearing a medical assessment had not yet been carried out on Ellwood, who is said to have suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for at least ten years.
The case was adjourned to Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, August 20, and Ellwood was granted conditional bail.
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