A HISTORY student found guilty of assaulting a six-year-old girl has cleared his name after winning an appeal against conviction at the city crown court.

Christopher Hall, 26, of Laurel Villa, Llanbadarn Fawr, was convicted by Cheltenham magistrates of slapping the six-year-old girl and putting his hands over both her ears because she had spilt a drink.

Hall had picked up the girl and “put her in the naughty corner” when he was baby­sitting her for her mother, who was away for the day on 7 June last year, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

The court heard the mother had very clear rules on how to discipline her child and that involved putting her in the naughty corner and asking her to think about what she had done.

Hall knew that was the rule and was trusted by the mother to look after her.

The court heard via video link from the girl who said she had spilled two drinks when Hall slapped her, leaving her with a bruise on her cheek.

Hall had been playing computer games and watching television while the girl played in her room or outside during the day, she said.

When the girl was taken to her grandparents’ house the next day she told them “Chris hit me” and she was taken for a medical examination.

Hall vehemently denied slapping the girl and said she had recently made up a story about another child hitting her as well.

The bruise was on the right-hand side of her cheek and Hall was right-handed, the court heard.

Judge Michael Cullum said: “It was inappropriate to look after [the girl] in the way you did, but we are satisfied you did not slap her and therefore we quash the conviction laid down by the magistrates.”