
Horrific moment dad was randomly attacked in the street while carrying his daughter
Greater Manchester Police has confirmed it will "review" the initial way it handled the case
Zaid Smith tries to protect his three-month-old daughter while being attacked
Police will review the handling of a case after shocking CCTV footage emerged, showing how a man was repeatedly punched about the head as he held a three-month-old baby girl in his arms.
Zaid Smith had called at a house in Withington to take the child, his daughter, for a walk on May 31. The 22-year-old was then subjected to what he described as an 'unprovoked' assault, his attacker raining down blows as he cradled the tot - unable to defend himself.
Now, the family of the child have said they are furious after being told by Greater Manchester Police the attacker had been released and his "punishment" was to write letters of apology to the victim and the child's mother - as he had no previous convictions.
Yesterday (June 2), GMP confirmed the family had been told the attacker had been given a conditional caution, which included writing letters of apology. But the force added that the matter was being "reviewed" by a senior officer. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
The incident happened at about 11am in Withington, Manchester, on May 31. Zaid had arrived at a house to take out his daughter, Ariella, for a walk.
The youngster's mother, Morgan Milward, 22, told the Manchester Evening News: "Baby's dad has come to collect the baby and then this young man has come on to the street, approached him, and totally unprovoked - they had no connection to each other - has started assaulting him in the head.
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"He could not protect himself, as you can see in the video, because he is trying to protect the baby. He was taking blows to the head. He did have a lump on his head. He had marks on the back of his neck.
"The baby was admitted to hospital as she has been unwell since the incident. She has been irritable and crying a lot. We are awaiting results of tests. She was shaken quite a bit by what happened. She went to hospital yesterday."
She said that the incident ended when an adult male relative of Ariella came out of the house to intervene. "The police were called, the neighbours came out, everyone was completely shocked," she added.
"The lad who made the assault was held by a neighbour until police arrived. The police arrested him, but we are not happy with the outcome... They told us it was his first offence he was not charged but got a bit of a slap on the wrist. All he has to do is write a letter of apology to the baby's father and to me - and he has been released."
Morgan, a third year student at the University of Law in Manchester, said: "I don't agree with that. It could have ended far worse for the baby. All the family is quite upset by that.
"Whether he is a first time offender or not the baby is just centimetres away from the punches. If he had hit her God knows what could have happened.
"Watching the video really upset me. As a first time mother it was very distressing. I think there needs to be some debate about this policy for first offenders. I think it is wrong, especially in a case like this. It needs to be discussed.
Zaid's sister, Zarah, said: "My brother was preparing to take my three-month-old niece for their daily walk when a man appeared from behind a car and approached him.
"He instructed my brother to place the baby down. My brother clarified that he was not putting the baby down but rather taking her inside to her mother.
"He began to punch my brother's head repeatedly while he held his baby, just a few centimetres away from her head. This could have resulted in serious injury. Fortunately, someone was in the house to intervene, allowing my brother to safely take his niece inside.
"The police were promptly called, and the man was taken into custody within 24 hours. However, he was later released and required to send a letter of apology to my brother and his partner. This was due to him being a first-time offender."
She added: "The lack of appropriate action has left my niece traumatised, and she has been crying non-stop since the incident. Her mother is shaken, and her father has sustained physical assault, including lumps and bruises on his head."
GMP confirmed that initially the family of the victim had been told the matter had been resolved by way of the attacker being ordered to write letters of apology as part of a conditional caution.
But a force spokesperson said: "A resolution for this case has not been finalised and investigations are still ongoing. A full review of the evidence will take place by a supervisor and a criminal justice outcome will then be decided.
"This decision will be made with the views of the victim fully understood, with an officer reaching out to speak with them today to ensure this position is clear. The suspect is currently on police bail and is to return to us in July."
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