A man who dumped a six-week-old baby girl beside an Auckland rubbish bin on Labour Day has been sentenced to six months in jail on five charges, including one of abandoning the child.
In the Auckland District Court yesterday, Judge Paul Barber sentenced Mark Phillip Patrick, aged 34, of Papakura, on one charge of abandonment, one of assaulting a child, two of assaulting a female and one of wilful damage.
Defence lawyer John Anderson said Patrick was filled with shame and remorse about all the offences.
He had been arguing with his de facto partner while driving through Avondale on October 23 and was in a highly emotional state, said Mr Anderson.
After the woman got out of the car and walked off, Patrick became concerned about being unable to look after the baby and took her out of the vehicle.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the car had begun moving so he placed the child beside a rubbish bin, got back into the car and drove off to look for his partner.
Members of the public found the baby a short while later. She was reunited with her mother and taken to Starship children's hospital for observation.
Mr Anderson said the other four charges, which related to separate incidents dating back to January lasst year, had all involved alcohol and his de facto partner.
The child Patrick assaulted on May 22 was not the same infant he abandoned. That incident had resulted from a scuffle where the child had simply "got in the way."
Judge Barber said it was obvious that Patrick had an alcohol problem and he did not find the explanations for his behaviour entirely credible.
Man jailed over baby dumping
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