<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A childcare worker told police she assaulted a young boy after becoming "frustrated and flustered" when her senior colleagues ignored her requests to help manage the child's behaviour.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hayley Kelleher, 18, today admitted assaulting the three-year-old while working at Jenny's Kindergarten and Early Learning centre in Bathurst, central western NSW, on July 11.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The former assistant educator briefly appeared in Bathurst Local Court to plead guilty to one count of common assault.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/december-christmas-weather-forecast-australia-2025-state-by-state/6adafbf2-746f-44a7-a1da-730498c3a498" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The one city set to get a drenching on Christmas Day</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kelleher was trying to settle a group of three, four and five-year-olds for their midday nap, when the boy repeatedly refused to lie on his mattress, according an agreed statement of facts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The court document said Kelleher asked a senior colleague for help, but was "ignored" and she decided to move the boy's mattress away from the other children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Despite continued requests for assistance (Kelleher) received no support from other educators and became increasingly frustrated and flustered," the document said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-jennys-kindergarten-and-early-learning-centre-worker-hayley-kelleher-assaulted-boy/c5771ed7-63bb-4a7a-a44c-bf89455a6186" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kelleher grabbed the boy's right arm and lifted him off the ground, before dragging him three metres away to a different mattress.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"(Kelleher) released the victim short of the mattress then picked him up again by his right arm and placed him on to the mattress," the document said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The statement of facts was amended to say Kelleher placed the boy on the mattress, rather than an initial allegation made public by police that she "threw" him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The incident was captured on CCTV.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The action caused the victim pain and discomfort and resulted in his jumper being torn," the court document said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The action of (Kelleher) was considered excessive of a reasonable amount of force to manage a child."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The child's mother complained to the NSW education department and the centre launched an internal investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anika-wells-minister-for-communications-taxpayers-foot-100k-fights-to-new-york-city/c4f56da2-5291-45e9-bae6-512c2f03622d" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Minister defends spending $100k on three-day trip to NYC</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kelleher was sacked soon after.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After the department showed the mother the CCTV footage, she reported the incident to police in late August.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During a police interview in mid-September, Kelleher admitted her actions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"(Kelleher) expressed remorse and stated she did not intend to cause harm to the victim or damage his clothing," the court document said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"She admitted to feeling frustrated and flustered due to the lack of assistance managing the child."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The conduct of childcare companies and workers has been under the spotlight for much of 2025, after a long-running investigation into the sector by ABC's Four Corners program.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a statement to the media, the Bathurst centre said it held a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any form of abuse, neglect or inappropriate conduct.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have worked closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary steps were taken, and that the concerns of the family involved were addressed respectfully and thoroughly," the centre said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kelleher will be sentenced on December 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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