IPSWICH: A teenage father could face a possible prison sentence after admitting causing actual bodily harm to his ten-week-old son.

Kane Burton, of Station Street, Ipswich, pleaded guilty at the town’s crown court to assaulting the child between April 30 and May 2 last year.

During the hearing, which lasted less than five minutes, prosecutor Samantha Leigh said the Crown Prosecution Service accepted the 18-year-old’s plea on the basis the offence was reckless.

Burton denied a second charge of cruelty to a child between April 1 and May 1 last year by wilfully assaulting the boy in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering,

A third count of inflicting grievous bodily harm was also on the indictment against him, although no plea was made during yesterday’s hearing.

Miss Leigh said it was likely that she would be asking for the cruelty and GBH charges to lay on file when Burton is sentenced.

Police previously confirmed that the original reports they received relating to the assault charge stated Burton had taken the child to the Riverside Clinic in Landseer Road, Ipswich, on May 1.

Staff at the walk-in medical centre referred the baby to Ipswich Hospital.

At the time it was said that the boy had sustained a fracture to a rib on his left-hand side, and another fracture to his right femur – the thigh bone.

Burton, who was aged 17 when he was responsible for the actual bodily harm, was arrested on May 5 and taken to Ipswich police station for questioning. He was charged on October 8.

After Burton entered his guilty plea to actual bodily harm, Judge Roderick Newton told him: “I am adjourning your case for a pre-sentence report. By doing so you should not think I’m giving any indication of a likely sentence.”

Judge Newton said the case would be warned for sentencing in three weeks time.

Burton was remanded in custody until his sentencing.