A Co Antrim man who punched his daughter (18) on the forehead in an alleged dispute about her getting a tattoo has been given a three-month jail sentence.
Norman Megaw (49), of Elmwood, Cullybackey, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to charges of assault and criminal damage.
The second charge related to him ripping a £200 television off a wall and smashing it during an incident in March this year at his home.
An audio recording of the incident was made on a mobile phone and it was played to the court.
Megaw, described in court as a bus builder, could be heard shouting and his daughter was crying on the audio tape. The court was told he admitted punching his daughter on the forehead, slapping her on the face and damaging the TV.
A defence lawyer said it was “very disturbing and appalling behaviour”.
He said there could be no excuse for what happened but added that the incident “seems to have arisen out of the defendant’s daughter getting a tattoo which she said she wouldn’t”.
The lawyer accepted the audio tape “paints a terrible picture” and said Megaw acknowledged he had anger problems that need to be addressed and the defendant was due to visit his GP in respect of that.
The lawyer said the incident happened after Megaw had drank a 10-glass bottle of vodka.
Judge Nigel Broderick said, after listening to the tape, it was "quite horrific" what Megaw had done to his daughter. "It is quite clear you are a violent man with anger management issues."
He jailed the defendant for three months but Megaw was released on his own bail of £500 pending appeal.
The judge said it was important that the appeal judge listens to the audio tape.