The child survived but with burns covering 40% of his body. When confronted by police, he said he did it because he was “really hung over”:
The Sydney man then pushed a bottle so hard into the baby’s mouth it bled, court documents showed.
Atare Tepania pleaded guilty in Penrith Local Court to reckless grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the incident in November 2015.
He had left the bathroom while the baby was in the bath to have a cigarette and to charge his phone.
The baby’s skin was peeling when he returned and had been left with burns covered 40 per cent of his body.
The 10-month-old spent 26 days in hospital and had cuts and bruises to his face, as well as a fractured elbow.
According to agreed facts Tepania grabbed the young boy by the arm when he came back to the bathroom before dropping him on the tiled floor.
He poured water on the tot before trying to feed him some formula in a bottle.
Tepania told cops he was “hungover… really bad” and had “f***ed up”, the Daily Mail reports.
Police found skin on the shower floor and bathroom door, and blood stains on a bed, towel and carpet.
A doctor said the boy’s burns could have been fatal but he expected a good prognosis and no need for long-term follow-up.
Tepania is scheduled to face a sentence hearing on October 6. (source)