Man sentenced for biting baby on leg
A 34-year-old man, who bit a baby on the leg, told police he did not believe it should be treated as an assault.
The culprit was Yunhyeok Nam, of Forres Drive, Glenrothes, who appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court accompanied by a Korean interpreter.
Nam admitted that on March 2 at Craigard, Livingston Lane, Aberdour, he assaulted a child then aged eleven-month-old by biting him on the leg to his injury.
Depute fiscal Brogan Moffat said the incident took place at around 10am when Nam was in bed with his partner and the child, who was crawling along the headboard.
Nam was trying to get to sleep and grabbed the child from the side of the bed.
The partner heard the baby crying and asked Nam what he had done. He claimed he had done nothing but when she checked the child there was a bite mark on his leg.
When the woman challenged Nam about the incident “it seemed to her that he did not understand why she was so upset and worried about it”, added the depute.
He then started rubbing the child’s leg trying to reduce the reddening.
The woman took photos of the mark and contacted the social work department who in turn informed the police.
When arrested and charged, Nam told police he did not believe his actions fell under “the definition of assault”.
Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said his client had been concerned the child might fall out of the bed and hurt himself.
“He did not think it was an assault but has now been told it was an assault,” he added. “He didn’t intend any harm to the child.”
Nam had met the woman in South Korea but the relationship is now over, the court was told.
Sheriff Peter Hammond imposed a community payback order with 80 hours of unpaid work and six months of supervision.