Former Air Force pilot has assault conviction for smacking his son overturned

A former Air Force pilot has had a conviction for smacking his son overturned.

The man had struck his son’s leg three times after he threw a tantrum in a restaurant.

The child was not injured beyond a bit of redness.

The man was initially found guilty of aggravated assault, but had the conviction overturned on appeal.

Sean Fewster from the Adelaide Advertiser told Neil Mitchell the judge said a little bit of pain can be part of the disciplinary lesson.

‘There’s no way that a genuine, honest attempt to correct a child’s behaviour can transform a parent into a criminal,’ Mr Fewster said.

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David Galbally QC said it’s a good judgment that clearly set out the boundaries for what parents can and can’t do.

‘You can discipline your child. You can smack them to stop them screaming in public,’ he said.

‘But you can’t use that situation to assault a child, to cause bruising.’

Click play to hear his take on the case