A dad who threatened his seven-year-old daughter with a knife and repeatedly battered her has been jailed for seven months.

The 39-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted the girl on various occasions at an address in Ardrossan between December 31, 2016 and April 18.

He repeatedly struck and punched the child on the head and body over a 16-month period.

He also behaved in a threatening and abusive manner towards the girl’s mother and repeatedly hammered a table and bed causing damage.

The dad appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week for sentencing, having previously pled guilty to three charges.

It was previously revealed in court that one of the assaults took place on New Year’s Eve, 2017 at the family home.

The man’s daughter was singing Happy New Year and the accused, who was drinking whisky, became aggressive and punched her on the inside thigh “for no reason”.

During another incident in April of this year, the father brandished a knife at her.

He was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison.