A TASMANIAN man who mercilessly assaulted a toddler will spend at least 20 months behind bars. Brett Nathan Webb, 37, was yesterday sentenced at the Supreme Court in Hobart for assaulting and causing grievous bodily harm to a two-year-old girl. The court heard the girl, Webb's then-partner's daughter, was left with life-threatening injuries after the January 2013 attack. On the night of the attack, Webb was supervising the toddler while his partner took another child to hospital. When the woman returned in the early hours of the morning, her two-year-old girl was lying underneath a stool alongside a kitchen bench, struggling to breathe. The girl had a blow to the face, bleeding to the brain, a broken shoulder and leg, and damage to her organs. The court heard the girl also had more than 40 bruises to her body and a number of broken ribs. Justice David Porter said most of the injuries were not consistent with a fall, but instead appeared to be caused by considerable deliberate force. The court heard some of the injuries were more consistent with a high-speed car accident. Justice Porter said he could only speculate as to what triggered the assault. He said the girl may have climbed onto the stool and caused Webb to lose his temper. "Whatever the cause, there is simply no excuse for this merciless assault on a child," Justice Porter said. Justice Porter said the long-term consequences of some of the girl's injuries were unknown, and psychological damage done was a concern. The court heard Webb had an unenviable traffic record but no history of violence. Webb, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison with a non-parole period of 20 months.
A TASMANIAN man who mercilessly assaulted a toddler will spend at least 20 months behind bars.
Brett Nathan Webb, 37, was yesterday sentenced at the Supreme Court in Hobart for assaulting and causing grievous bodily harm to a two-year-old girl.
The court heard the girl, Webb's then-partner's daughter, was left with life-threatening injuries after the January 2013 attack.
On the night of the attack, Webb was supervising the toddler while his partner took another child to hospital.
When the woman returned in the early hours of the morning, her two-year-old girl was lying underneath a stool alongside a kitchen bench, struggling to breathe.
The girl had a blow to the face, bleeding to the brain, a broken shoulder and leg, and damage to her organs.
The court heard the girl also had more than 40 bruises to her body and a number of broken ribs.
Justice David Porter said most of the injuries were not consistent with a fall, but instead appeared to be caused by considerable deliberate force.
The court heard some of the injuries were more consistent with a high-speed car accident.
Justice Porter said he could only speculate as to what triggered the assault.
He said the girl may have climbed onto the stool and caused Webb to lose his temper.
"Whatever the cause, there is simply no excuse for this merciless assault on a child," Justice Porter said.
Justice Porter said the long-term consequences of some of the girl's injuries were unknown, and psychological damage done was a concern.
The court heard Webb had an unenviable traffic record but no history of violence.
Webb, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison with a non-parole period of 20 months.
