A MAN who punched his three-month-old baby twice in the face has been jailed for 15 months.

Student Mark Ian Smith, 20, told police on his arrest that the offence was down to the stresses of being a first-time parent.

Teesside Crown Court was told that the attack on Taylor Smith happened when the child's mother, Michelle Ibbotson, left the house to pick up a takeaway.

When she returned 20 minutes later, she saw Smith at the top of the stairs, holding the crying baby.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Smith was panicking and claimed he had picked Taylor up when he noticed blood coming from his nose.

The baby, who had suffered a black eye, swelling and a cut to his lip, was taken to hospital by Ms Ibbotson.

Doctors said the nature of the injuries could only have been down to the child having been struck.

Having initially claimed it was down to stress, Smith, of Ellerburn Street, Thornaby, Teesside, subsequently denied the assault, only changing his plea late in court proceedings against him.

The courtwas told that he had given no information about the circumstances of the attack.

Robin Denny, representing Smith, who admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on March 3 last year, said he was in denial about the incident, possibly because he was embarrassed by it.

He said: "He is a 20-year-old with no previous convictions, who is terrified by the prospect of going into custody."

Smith, who wiped away tears as the sentence was passed, was told by Judge Les Spittle that he would be sent to a young offenders' institute for 15 months.

The judge said: "The courts have a duty in cases of this nature, where defenceless infants are subject to violence by a parent, to impose, save for exceptional circumstances, an immediate custodial sentence."