Man admits to assault on baby to spite the mother

Warning: This story contains graphic content

A man who admits committing a horrific assault against a six-week-old baby has had sexual assault charges amended to aggravated assault.

Dale Walter Kunath, 28, admits he was constantly arguing with his girlfriend and wanted to cause her 10-pound newborn baby boy pain.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated assault in Court of Queen’s Bench on Friday.

Kunath is not the child’s biological father.

“He admitted to us and the court now that his purpose was to include pain on this child as a result of issues he was having with the child’s mother,” said Crown prosecutor Jayme Williams. “This is a very, very serious file.”

Williams explained it was difficult to date the baby’s injuries, and when Kunath admitted he was hurting the infant because of troubles in his relationship, the charges were amended.

“The admissions that were made today were very much a step forward,” said Williams.

The baby was rushed to hospital bleeding from injuries to his anus and genitals in June 2010.

After Kunath admitted he inflicted the injuries with the intention of causing the baby pain, the Crown and defence agreed aggravated sexual assault charges be dropped in favour of aggravated assault.

The baby, who required reconstructive surgery to his genitals, which remain scarred, has fully recovered from his other wounds, court was told.

The baby’s injuries came to light on June 21, 2010 when Kunath was asked to take the infant to bed. The mother heard crying and checked on her child.

“She screamed when she saw the baby lying in the crib with blood on the left side of his sleeper,” said Williams. When the mother asked Kunath what happened, he said: ‘I didn’t do anything,’ according to court documents.

When doctors examined the baby at the Alberta Children’s Hospital emergency room, they found multiple injuries, including tearing on his penis, which was still bleeding.

He also had blisters and scabs on his feet. Court heard those were likely caused by a cigarette lighter.

“The accused intended to cause the child pain when inflicting these injuries,” said Williams.

Doctors performed reconstructive surgery on the baby’s penis. It required multiple layers of stitches.

There are permanent scars and it cannot be determined whether that will have long term physiological effects, court heard.

Kunath’s defence lawyer, Jim Lutz, said Kunath always maintained his actions were not sexually motivated.

“The issue in this case is proving what the purpose of the injuries is for,” said Lutz. “The location of the injuries always raises the spectre that something else is present, but that’s just not the case here.”

Kunath is back for sentencing Nov. 9.