Only the child’s head could be seen after Christian Watson’s actions in an entertainment arcade, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.
After staff got the machine off her, the toddler was rushed to hospital with suspected spinal injuries and internal bleeding, but doctors later declared she had suffered little if any injury.
Laura Addy, for Watson, said he had been sectioned in January and was still a voluntary patient at a psychiatric hospital.
Medics had decided he should spend the day with his family at Blue Dolphin Holiday Park near Filey as part of preparing him for life back in the community but his father had told them Watson was not ready to leave hospital.
The family had managed Watson’s psychiatric problems at home for a significant time until a crisis in January 2023 led to him being sectioned.
The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said: “This is a wholly exceptional case.”
Although the little girl had not been injured it must have been traumatic to her and her mother, who had been bruised, the court heard.
“At the time you were not well and should have been in a hospital,” the judge told Watson. He described Watson’s father as the “man who knows you best”.
He made Watson subject to a three-year community order with three years’ mental health treatment by a community mental health organisation and 30 days’ rehabilitative activities. Watson must wear an alcohol abstinence tag for 120 days.
The judge warned him off taking illegal drugs and alcohol as they would increase his mental health problems.
Watson, 22, of Abbeydale Grove, Hawksworth, Leeds, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to the mother, attempted actual bodily harm to the child, assaulting the child and criminal damage.
Ms Morrison said the mother and child were on holiday at the time. Watson was identified from CCTV of the incident and was still at the park when police arrived.
Ms Addy said of Watson. “At no point did he intend to harm the little girl and he couldn’t be more remorseful.”
He had been hearing voices the morning of the incident and recalled feeling threatened, though it wasn’t clear whether he had been or not. Walking through the arcade he had pushed what he thought was a person away from him.
He had been diagnosed with psychosis after he was sectioned and was still receiving treatment following his discharge from the hospital.
