Judge to decide fate of Porangahau father charged with assaulting baby

Rawiri Sciascia, 28, awaits a decision by Judge Bridget Mackintosh following a two-day judge-alone trial in the Hastings District on Wednesday and Thursday. Photo / File

A judge will decide the fate of a Porangahau father who assaulted his infant daughter, and allegedly hit her with a cellphone.

Seven-month-old Hineteaorangi Maraki was found lifeless in her bed on the morning of October 8, 2019, having gone to bed a happy child, Stuff reports.

An autopsy found she had a fractured skull and had suffered blunt force trauma to her head.

The details surrounding the death were recounted in a two-day judge-alone trial in the Hastings District Court earlier this week.

Her father, 28-year-old Rawiri Sciascia, also known as David, was charged with assaulting and causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard to his daughter.

He was not charged in relation to her death as the cause of death could not be determined.

Sciascia appeared before Judge Bridget Mackintosh for a two-day trial which began on Wednesday.

Two assault charges related to allegations by a young family member who claimed to see Sciascia hitting the baby with a cellphone to her head on October 3 and 4, 2019, Stuff reported.

Sciascia's lawyer, Eric Forster, said he denied the alleged assaults occurred. Sciascia pleaded guilty to a representative charge of assaulting his daughter at various other times.

These included "whacking her on her arse" and pinching her cheeks so hard it caused bruising, according to Stuff.

Defence evidence was not called.

Judge Mackintosh reserved her decision and Sciascia was released on bail until a date late next month.