Grantham dad who hit his children with wood and a circus whip is jailed at Lincoln Crown Court

A Grantham man who used a piece of wood and a circus whip to strike two of his own children was today jailed for seven years and five months.

The father, who can not be named to protect the identities of his victims, admitted child cruelty against three of his children over an eight year period.

Lincoln Crown Court heard today (Friday, July 4) two boys were subjected to repeated assaults with "implements" which became more frequent as they got older.

One of the boys was struck with a piece of wood to his arm when he was aged either 14 or 15, the court was told.

There were other incidents of violence without weapons to a girl who described being hit with a horse whip after she turned 16. Her phone was also broken.

Jon Dee, prosecuting, said there were repeated incidents of violence towards the boys which were committed in either temper or as a punishment.

The father admitted three charges of child cruelty, two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and one offence of criminal damage between January 2015 and October 2022.

Eddison Flint, mitigating, said the defendant had a very different upbringing and saw himself as using discipline on his children.

"The defendant's position has always been that this was not sadism, it was him acting as a disciplinarian," Mr Flint stressed.

"There is a degree of remorse from the defendant about what happened."

Mr Flint added the defendant had no previous convictions and had taken on three different jobs since being remanded into custody in prison.

Passing sentence Judge James House KC stressed harm had been caused to three children.

Judge House said the incidents only came to end when the girl reported the incident with the whip to a friend.

"She described begging him to stop," Judge House remarked.

Judge House added it may only be when the children have reached maturity that the true impact on them is known.

A restraining order was also made which prevents the defendant from having any contact with his children for 10 years.