A MOTHER has spoken of her outrage after a man walked free from court after hitting her baby.

Kevin Sykes lashed out at the 14-month-old while babysitting in April last year.

The 35-year-old said the child had fallen, but doctors confirmed she had been assaulted when her mother took her to hospital the next morning.

The girl had bruises to her face and bloodshot eyes after the attack.

Sykes, who admitted assault, was given a six-month suspended jail term at Teesside Crown Court.

The girl’s mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: “It is not right. She was only one year old and could not protect herself.

“I have been trying to forget about it and I thought justice would take its course, but this has brought it all back.”

Sykes, of Lansdowne Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard he was caring for the girl while her mother was out celebrating her sister’s birthday.

She called at 9.30pm to check her daughter was okay, and Sykes told her she had fallen and hit her head.

She checked on the baby later that night, but only discovered the extent of her injuries next morning.

The paediatrician at Darlington Memorial Hospital noticed fingermarks on her face likely to have been caused by a grip or a slap.

Police were called and Sykes was arrested.

The girl’s mother told The Northern Echo: “I took her to the hospital and the doctors said straight away that someone had hit her.

“When he told me that she had fallen, I believed him. But when I saw her face the next morning, I knew it was more than that. He should have gone to prison. If I had done it, my child would have been taken away from me.”

Chris Baker, for Sykes, told the court his client was of low intelligence and had shown remorse, and described the attack as a momentary loss of control.

Judge George Moorhouse banned Sykes from having unsupervised contact with children for 12 months.

He said he was able to suspend the sentence on the basis of Sykes’ guilty plea and his remorse.