An airline passenger has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison after slapping a crying toddler in the seat next to him.
A court heard that the man used a racial slur to refer to the 19-month-old boy and then hit the toddler, leaving a scratch below his right eye.
The incident happened on a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta last February.
Joe Rickey Hundley pleaded guilty in October after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
According to a Sky News report, a sworn statement from an FBI agent who investigated the incident said Hundley leaned over to the mother of the child and "told her to shut that (N-word) baby up".
Prosecutors had recommended six months in prison, but the judge said he imposed a higher sentence partly because of Hundley’s criminal history, which includes a prior assault.
In his defence, Hundley’s lawyer said he had spent the day before visiting his dying son in hospital.
But US Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman said this did not excuse his actions.
Before he was sentenced, Hundley told the court he took full responsibility for his actions and apologised to the child’s mother.
"I made the most terrible day in my life much worse for me and for others," he said.
