A FORMER soldier who battered a four-and-a-half month old boy while out with his sex offender friend, then lied to the police about who he was with, has been jailed for 14 months.

David Parker, 33, was looking after the baby when he met up with Paul Higgins and his partner, Kenneth Grant, who is the subject of a sexual prevention order to stop him coming into contact with children.

While in the changing room at KFC on Glasgow’s Argyle Street, Parker assaulted the child, who was then seen “crying and visibly distressed”.

READ MORE: Former soldier beat baby boy in Glasgow KFC while out with sex offender friend

The police were later contacted when the baby’s mother noticed injuries on his face and he was later found to have further bruises on his thighs and head.

The baby was taken to Hairmyres Hospital.

When questioned by police officers about what he had done that day, Parker claimed he was only with one friend who he named as being called Paul.

READ MORE: Woman, 21, 'extremely upset' after abduction attempt on Glasgow street during rush hour

But, CCTV from KFC showed Grant with Parker, who was seen hiding the baby’s face.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Parker, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire admitted assaulting the four-and-a-half-month old baby by “inflicting blunt force trauma on his head and body by means unknown” to his injury on June 10, last year.

He also admitted providing false information with intent to pervert the course of justice.

READ MORE: ‘We’ve had enough’ - Angry residents call for action after THREE drug deaths in TEN days

Sheriff Johanna Johnston QC jailed Parker for a total of 14 months. She told him: “These courts exist to protect the public, in particular it exists to protect the most vulnerable members of society.

“There’s nobody more vulnerable than an infant.

“They cannot move, they cannot speak and for you to inflict injuries on that child, that is something you will have to live with for the rest of your life.”