AN ‘IMMATURE’ man who bit a defenceless 13-month-old baby numerous times to ‘teach him a lesson’ has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Thomas Perry, 23, admitted two counts of assault by beating against a child.

Bite marks, bruising and teeth marks from the first incident were only discovered when the baby was being bathed, Weymouth magistrates was told.

Perry told the baby’s mother that the boy bit him so he ‘bit him back to teach him a lesson’ and ‘show him how much it hurt’.

In a statement, the boy’s mother said she believed the incident was a ‘one off’ and said there was nothing to cause her further concern.

But between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on May 2, the mother said she returned from her friend’s house and opened the front door where she heard her son ‘crying like never before’.

As she went upstairs Perry was seen coming out of the young baby’s room and into the lounge, the court was told.

The mother said she ‘had a bad feeling’ about what Perry could have done and went into the boy’s room where she discovered fresh bite marks at the top of each of the boy’s arms.

When Perry was accused again by the mother, he said he did not know what had happened and that he had spent the evening downstairs playing on an Xbox.

The mother said Perry later ‘repeatedly apologised’ but said she thought Perry had alcohol issues.

After the incidents, Perry locked himself in the bathroom of a flat with an Xbox cord in an attempt to end his life, the court was told.

Police were then called and Perry admitted that he had ‘done something stupid’ when he was asked about the injuries to the young boy.

When the allegations were put to Perry by police, he replied: “The boy bit me so I bit him back to show how much it hurt.”

Perry said he had ‘flipped out’ when the young boy bit him and that the boy ‘bruised easily.’ An examination at Dorset County Hospital revealed the boy had marks consistent with being bitten.

Kenny Sharp, mitigating, said: “The enormity of what my client had done dawned on him soon after the second incident.

“He had absolutely no experience of looking after a baby and was completely and utterly unequipped to do so.

“He admitted what he’d done immediately to police. He is a very immature man who lives with his parents.”

Mr Sharp said Perry had mental health issues and was struggling with depression, drug and alcohol issues.

Magistrates’ chair William Gibbons said: “This was a very nasty assault where you bit a 13-month-old boy, who was defenceless, numerous times.

“But to your credit you have shown remorse and you are a man of previous good character.”

Perry, of Dorset Street, Blandford Forum, was handed a four month prison sentence on each of the two assault charges, suspended for two years.

The two sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and complete 220 hours of unpaid community work and a thinking skills programme in association with the Probation Service.