UK Childminder jailed for child cruelty after punching and biting toddler

The court heard disturbing details of the abuse the young boy was subjected to.

A childminder in the UK has been jailed for repeated assaults on a toddler that left the boy with bite and punch marks. Ryan Lincoln-Dust, from Kent, pleaded guilty to child cruelty and actual bodily harm before trial this year after initially denying the abuse on arrest. The abuse took place over a month-long period in 2019 and came to the attention of Social Services after medics discovered suspicious bruising on the child during a routine check-up, the Mirror reports. When asked how the child sustained the injuries at the time, the 24-year-old claimed they were accidental or self-inflicted, saying he must have "fallen chasing the cat." He also claimed the child would punch himself in the stomach and deliberately bang his head on furniture, and that a bite mark on his cheek resulted from an accident when Lincoln-Dust blew a raspberry. However, medical investigations found the toddler suffered at least ten injuries from "crushing teeth" and "hard punches." "This type of human bite injury is caused by the tissues being taken into the mouth and the jaws being consciously closed, creating a crushing force from the teeth," senior dental surgeon Philip Marsden told the court. "The imprints are caused by the biting edges of the teeth – both upper and lower at the same time, in a crushing action. [Lincoln-Dust's] account is not a feasible or credible explanation for the injury to the cheek." Doctor Daniel Haynes added: "There are three knuckle shaped bruises in a line running down the posterior side of the cheek in front of the left ear, alongside an area of bruising in front of the left ear. These marks are typical of the results of a closed fist punch to the left side of the face. "The punches were of severe force, causing clear bruising. The bites were caused by deliberate and forceful clamping of the teeth, but not so forceful as to penetrate the skin. "The slap was forceful enough to cause bruising. All the injuries would have been painful and frightening and would have caused the baby to cry." CT scans and blood tests revealed no bones had been broken, but the court heard the child still suffers from nightmares and often wakes up crying "please don't hurt me." The court also heard that Lincoln-Dust suffered "personality disorders and issues" after witnessing abuse in his youth. A second person, an unnamed 22-year-old woman, was previously sentenced earlier this year in relation to the case. She was given nine months in custody suspended for two years for child cruelty.