A 24-year-old man who injured a nine-month-old baby deliberately by slapping him and pushing his thumb into his head in Rosyth has been sentenced to unpaid work.

Lewis Stevenson, 24, of Moredunvale Loan, Edinburgh, appeared back in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted previously that between June 1-30 last year, at Castlandhill, Rosyth, and elsewhere, he assaulted a baby then aged around nine-months-old by striking him on the head and pushing his thumb on his head to his injury.

Depute fiscal Zahra Bhatti said Stevenson and the boy’s mother had been interviewed about bruising on him on an earlier occasion.

Later, Stevenson had sent messages to the mother complaining that the child had “been up all night crying”.

Stevenson also said he wanted to end his life as he had “nothing to live for”.

In July, the mother asked about the child’s injuries during a phone call with Stevenson.

“He said he had put his thumb in his cheek but didn’t mean it,” said the depute.

The child was examined medically and was found to have significant bruising consistent with finger-tip pressure.

There was a phone conversation between the mum and Stevenson in which he was accused of hitting the child.

“You full-on slapped him,” said the mum.

“It wasn’t my full hand,” said Stevenson.

“The mother asked him why the bruising was so bad and why had he hit him but there was no response and the conversation ended there,” added the depute.

The court was told Stevenson had no previous convictions and the relationship was now over.

Sheriff David Hall imposed a community payback order with one year of supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work.