THE father of a terminally-ill girl has vowed to make a fresh start after he was spared jail to care for her.

Daniel Dodsworth subjected his girlfriend, Sarah Hodgson, to a horrific ordeal when he went on a drunken rampage with an air rifle at the home they share in Darlington.

But Judge Anthony Briggs took pity on the 24-year-old after hearing his two-year-old daughter, Katie, suffered from a rare genetic disease.

Last night, Dodsworth pledged to turn his life around and said he planned to marry Miss Hodgson.

Teesside Crown Court heard he was fuelled by eight cans of lager and a bottle of wine when he fired shots at a door, wall and sofa on March 1 this year.

He then goaded his petrified partner to shoot him in the face, before police arrived at their house in The Broadway South.

With a string of previous convictions for motoring offences, criminal damage and domestic disturbances, Dodsworth expected to be behind bars today for breaching a suspended prison sentence. But Judge Briggs was swayed by his circumstances.

He told Dodsworth: “Do not be under any illusion that this was a nasty and unpleasant incident.

“But I have taken into account that you have a very significant and onerous responsibility and you now accept and appreciate that.”

Dodsworth said he wanted to thank the judge for taking a chance.

“I am ecstatic,” he said after the hearing. “I really did not think in my heart of hearts that this was going to happen.

“It is the biggest wake-up call for me that I could have. I used to have a problem with drink, it could have ruined my life, but I am determined to grow up and take my responsibilities seriously.”

Dodsworth, who pleaded guilty to affray and has been in custody since March 3, said: “I am so proud of Sarah for looking after Katie.

“I am determined to be a good father and help look after her. This ending is like a fairytale.”

Katie suffers from Aicardi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, which is only found in girls and causes seizures and developmental delay.

Miss Hodgson said that although her daughter was doing well at the moment, she was expected to only live until her early teens.

In mitigation, barrister Donald McFall said Dodsworth had missed some vital training in how to look after his child, but was eager to catch up.

“Katie is very ill and her prognosis is not good. It has scared the life out of him that something might happen to his daughter while he is away,” he said.

Judge Briggs told Dodsworth that it was important for him to relieve his partner of some of the caring burden.

After sentencing him to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, he added: “You have been fortunate on this occasion.

“Do not throw this chance away, as it is likely to be your last one.”