by Keith Hunt

A bully with an obsession for biting has been jailed for two years for sinking his teeth into a young child.

"It is plain from all I have heard you have a manipulative, anti-social, controlling, aggressive nature," a judge told Dean Leonida.

The 22-year-old drug addict, of Benhall Road, Hawkenbury, Tunbridge Wells, denied assault causing actual bodily harm but was convicted.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he left his girlfriend’s two-year-old son Harry Beazley screaming in pain from injuries to his head and arms.

The child’s mother Carlene Beazley gave evidence Leonida had bitten her in "horrible places".

He had been in a relationship with the mother-of-three for six months when the assault happened.

Miss Beazley on July 17 last year went to the shops and came back after about five minutes to find Harry was hysterical.

Leonida was holding him and trying to calm him down. She took Harry from him and saw he had marks on his head and arms.

She noticed, in particular, a mark on his left cheek. She asked Leonida what happened. He denied he had anything to do with it.

Leonida accused one of the other children, aged six, of causing the injuries.

Prosecutor Rufus Stilgoe said the relationship had been violent and Leonida had bitten or tried to bite Miss Beazley.

Judith King, defending, said Leonida had become "clean and straight" after being remanded in custody in July.

"Looking at the guidelines, you can only really impose a short custodial sentence," she told Judge Martin Joy. "He is highly unlikely to get help in prison."

The judge told Leonida: "In order to bite, there must be an element of pre-meditation. Of course there is. I have no doubt the injuries to Harry are serious.

"There has to be a clear and consistent message that those who mistreat children in their care will be severely punished. Society simply cannot tolerate behaviour such as this."