Dad hit his kids with horse whip and made them fight each other over years of cruel abuse

A dad-of-ten sadistically beat some of his children, beating them with a whip and forcing them to face a wall for hours at a time.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tormented the children over several years, a court heard.

Judge Keith Thomas told Swansea Crown Court the 34-year-old derived a sadistic pleasure from physically abusing some of them, reports Wales Online.

The court heard that, on occasions, he also forced the youngsters to fight each other "to toughen them up".

The defendant was from a travelling family, with the offences taking place in multiple locations including Wales and the West Midlands.

He was sentenced to 10 years, with six years and nine months to be served in prison and an extended sentence of three years and three months.

The sentencing hearing was told some of the children had problems with bed wetting and the father would punish the children by making them face a wall with their hands on their heads while he called them abusive names.

The court was told by James Davis, prosecuting, that the children refused to cry because they would be hit again if they did.

They were not allowed to turn around or speak, with the incidents lasting for so long that it meant they sometimes wet themselves, which resulted in them being hit.

At one point the defendant told his son to stand with his legs open and kicked him in the genital area.

He shared the children with his ex-wife, who he also subjected to beatings.

The court heard that he horse-whipped the children and forced them to cover up their injuries, which included bruises.

However, a school worker discovered marks on one of the children and reported it to social services.

The parents denied the attacks and, although the children were removed from the defendant's care, they were later returned to him.

Speaking about one of the children, Mr Davis said the impact of the abuse on her was “huge” and she had been robbed of her childhood.

Defending, Amiee Parkes said the man was sorry for his actions, which was “something he was coming to terms with himself".

“The consequences of his actions will be with him for the rest of his life," she said.

Sentencing, Judge Thomas said the dad should have protected his children and been a role model for them.

Instead, he was their tormentor and was sadistic and derived pleasure from inflicting pain, said the judge.

The psychological reports presented to court showed "the impact of these appalling and repeated acts of cruelty cannot be underestimated”, he said.

The defendant pleaded guilty to seven counts of actual bodily harm and 13 counts of child cruelty.

A restraining order was also granted, prohibiting him from approaching his ex-wife or children for 15 years.