ALAN GRIFFIN SENTENCED IN CARDIFF FOR CHILD ASSAULTS

In March 2019, Alan Griffin, a man from Cwmavon, Port Talbot, was convicted of assaulting a 15-month-old boy while the child's mother was visiting her ill mother in hospital. The court was told Griffin was deemed an "abusive" individual by Judge Neil Bidder QC at Cardiff Crown Court, who stated, "You are an abusive man. It is as simple as that."

Griffin, who previously served time for biting a 13-month-old, was trusted to care for the toddler during his mother’s hospital visit after an operation. Prosecutor John Ryan explained that Griffin met the child's mother via the dating site Plenty of Fish in January 2018, and they soon moved in together. Ryan added, "The defendant appeared to get on well with [the boy]. He told [his partner] he had nieces and nephews."

Unaware of Griffin’s prior conviction—who falsely claimed to have been imprisoned for fighting—the woman left Griffin to look after her son. She called to check on the child, and Griffin reported that the baby had "slipped in the bath" and that he had given him some Calpol. However, when she later met her son at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, she saw redness and bruising on his face.

Prosecutor Ryan stated, "The defendant could not explain his injuries and hospital staff became suspicious." Medical assessments revealed the child's injuries, including bruising on his face and buttocks, were non-accidental; the bruising on the head could have been caused by falling in the bath. The child was held overnight in hospital. Judge Bidder described the injuries as "extensive red marks," referring to them as "livid red welts."

Griffin was arrested the following day. He claimed the child had slipped in the bath, but he also persuaded his mother to lie to police, with her falsely stating she lost her grip while bathing the child. She later admitted to police that she had lied because Griffin kept asking her to do so.

The court also learned Griffin's mother, Christine Habberley, gave a false statement claiming she caused the injuries by losing her grip during the bath. When questioned about photographs of her grandson's injuries, she admitted she had lied, stating she did so at her son’s behest, despite not wanting to lie.

Furthermore, Griffin was known to have previously assaulted a 13-month-old child, leaving bite marks on their arm and cheek, for which he served a 20-month sentence. Prosecutors emphasized, "This is the second known occasion he has physically assaulted a child."

In addition to the child assault, Griffin also assaulted the child's mother, resulting in a community order after pleading guilty to common assault. Historical court records show he has six previous offences, including causing criminal damage.

Griffin, aged 35, who resides on Jersey Villas, was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. Judge Bidder described the case as "serious," remarking, "This is a serious case of assault of a child by a man who had previously been convicted of assaulting a child." He was sentenced to a total of two years and seven months in prison.