A single mother has lost custody of her children for smacking one of them on the rear with a plastic spoon after he spent $600 on a video game subscription.
The unemployed Gold Coast mum, 46, appeared in Southport Magistrate’s Court on Thursday where she pleaded guilty to the assault charge.
The court heard the child, aged 10 and living with ADHD and autism, had used her credit card to purchase video games in March, spending hundreds of dollars.
The prosecution said she confiscated his gaming console before grabbing her son and striking him in the backside with the plastic utensil she had retrieved from the kitchen.
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The smack caused bruising, the court was told.
The 10-year-old retaliated by kicking holes in a wall.
A magistrate sentenced the mother to a nine-month probation order and no conviction was recorded.
The mum’s lawyer described her actions as a “brain snap” and said she was “extremely remorseful”.
“(The magistrate) was very empathetic towards my client. He could see the lead up to the incident, her circumstances, the difficulties she was facing. His penalty was well within range,” he said.
“She was very happy with the penalty. It wasn’t one that didn’t see her spending money on a fine and taking food from these children’s mouths, effectively.”
The mother will now begin the process to regain full custody of her two children.
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