A SENTENCE given to a man who threw beer over a toddler in a pub has been branded as too lenient by the child's father.
Danny Polak, 64, of Sherwood was fined £355 after throwing the drink at the boy and kicking the child's mother Rachel Atkin when she confronted him.
Polak, of Sherwood, yesterday said he was "sorry".
But the boy's dad Tony White, 30, feels he should have been punished more severely.
He said: "It's not enough. All my son was doing was crying and this happened to him. It is a very lenient sentence."
The incident happened in the Ernehale pub in Nottingham Road, Arnold, on Monday, June 11.
Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard that Miss Atkin had gone to the pub with her 15-month-old son and her sister-in-law Rebecca White after a morning at a soft play centre.
They sat on a table next to Polak and his wife.
Miss Atkin, 25, left her son and Ms White seated while she went to order food at the bar.
Catherine Picardo, prosecuting, said that was when the toddler started crying.
She said: "The defendant, with a half-full pint in his hand, approached the table and poured it over the baby's head, which caused him to scream."
Ms Picardo added that when confronted by Miss Atkin, Polak told her: "You shouldn't bring kids in a pub."
Miss Atkin responded by throwing her own drink at Polak and told him: "See how you like it."
The court heard she then turned her back on the retired grandfather – who kicked her in the backside.
Miss Picardo said: "It is quite shocking behaviour as it involved a 15-month old child. It took place in a family pub where children are entitled to be."
Mr White said his partner Miss Atkin had not been back into the Ernehale or any other pub since the incident.
He said: "It has really affected her. She won't go to another pub as she's worried it could happen again.
"It has really shaken her up. That's why I expected the punishment would have been more severe."
Polak admitted two counts of assault and received the fine, as well as £50 compensation.
Speaking at his home yesterday, he told the Post: "I'm sorry about it. I had gone out for lunch and the baby was crying for a good 15 minutes. I just wanted them to be quiet.
"But there was very little drink in the glass and I didn't aim at the baby. I feel I have been treated very harshly. It has made my wife poorly."
He added: "I've not been back to the pub since. I won't even go into Arnold."
