A childcare worker has been stood down and charged with assault after he allegedly shook a five-year-old boy several times, causing the youngster's back to smash repeatedly against a fence.
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Police claim Kyong Shik Choi was angry about the treatment of some toys when he grabbed the boy, who is said to have fought back by hitting the 46-year-old in the face.
Mr Choi, who is also known as Kenny, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.
In documents tendered to the court, police say the South Korean man was supervising children from the toddler and preschool rooms in a Gowrie childcare centre playground last Wednesday.
About 11.30am that day, Mr Choi allegedly saw the five-year-old boy standing behind a wooden fort and throwing plastic blocks over the fence.
He is accused of approaching the child, placing both hands on the boy's collar and pushing him against the fence.
Police claim Mr Choi then shook the boy back and forth about six times, "causing the child's back to make continuous contact with the fence".
"In response, the child used a mat to hit to the defendant on the side of his face," police allege in court documents.
"The defendant continued to forcibly shake the child back and forth two more times."
A woman who was walking past is said to have called out to Mr Choi after seeing what was happening.
Police say this prompted the 46-year-old to immediately loosen his grip and stop shaking the boy, who ran away crying.
The woman subsequently reported Mr Choi to the childcare centre manager, who spoke to him a short time later.
Police say Mr Choi gave the manager a signed, written statement "in which he made admissions to having pushed the child down over the fence after witnessing him throw blocks".
"The defendant stated he believed his behaviour was inappropriate but told [the centre manager] that he was protecting himself," police allege in court documents.
"The defendant explained the child spat at him and kicked him."
The centre manager subsequently stood Mr Choi down and reported the matter to police, handing over the 46-year-old's statement and the centre's own incident report.
Investigators on Monday interviewed the five-year-old boy, who told officers the incident had made him "sad and angry".
Mr Choi attended Belconnen Police Station at the request of police on Tuesday morning, when he was arrested and charged.
When he appeared in court in the afternoon, he did not enter a plea to the charge of common assault.
Prosecutor Ellen Riley told the court there were concerns Mr Choi might try to "influence" the prosecution's primary witness, who was essential to the case.
Ms Riley sought bail conditions including that Mr Choi be ordered not to contact, approach, assault, harass or intimidate three people including the witness and the child.
But Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker found such conditions were not necessary for a man the court heard had no criminal history.
Ms Walker placed Mr Choi on bail, with the only condition being that he attend court on September 22.
The magistrate said Mr Choi would be expected to enter a plea on that occasion.
Mr Choi, who lives in Throsby, yelled "hey, get away" at reporters as he left court.
He also covered his face with a jacket and his bail paperwork, despite having already been photographed with his face clearly visible.
