A SELF-OBSESSED father poured red-hot oil over his own son's head in a bid to strengthen the relationship with the boy's mother.

Little Jordan O'Connor will bear the scars of his father's cruelty for the rest of his life and wears a baseball cap to hide the disfigurement.

The heat was so intense it burned a hole in the youngster's skull.

On Monday at Leeds Crown Court his father Jason O'Connor, 27, of Woodville Grove, Horsforth, was jailed for eight years after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent on the toddler.

Recorder of Leeds Judge Norman Jones QC told O'Connor: "This case has caused me a great deal of anxiety, that little baby was absolutely, utterly and completely dependent on you when the offence took place.

"It was the ultimate violation of trust. You thought by causing the baby some injury that would necessitate his treatment.

"His mother would then depend more upon you and, therefore, would re-establish the relationship more closely than it had been over the previous months.

"That was a purely self-obsessed consideration.''

After the case, Jordan's mother Emma Colton, 21, said: "Jason is a selfish animal who has left his own son scarred for life - it is pure evil.

"I feel eight years is not enough for what he has done to Jordan, who will carry the scars forever. I hope jail will kill him.'"

Jordan's nightmares of being strapped into a highchair by O'Connor are fading but hair will never grow on the scalp severely burned by the red-hot oil and the toddler faces a series of painful operations.

"Jordan still has nightmares and was inconsolable in tears of fear if he saw me with a pan when he returned home from hospital," said Emma, who was forced into hiding with her son after Jason was charged.

The court heard that Emma moved in to a house in Leeds with Jason, who worked for a vending machine company, when she realised she was pregnant with their son in 1998.

But the relationship began to fail and the couple were sleeping in separate bedrooms.

On May 3, 2000, Emma went to work as a barmaid after Jason returned from his job to look after their baby.

"I was at work when Jason phoned me from home and said there had been an accident and an ambulance was on its way.

"I rushed to casualty at St James's Hospital and there was horrified to see Jordan with half his scalp white and the hair singed where the oil had splashed. His left ear was inflamed and hanging off."

The injuries were so serious Jordan was transferred to the special burns unit at Pinderfield's Hospital, Wakefield, with four per cent burns.

Jason attempted to cover up his cruelty and told Emma that Jordan had been sat on his highchair when the youngster grabbed a frying pan and tipped the boiling oil over himself.

Emma swallowed the story and both kept a vigil at Pinderfields as surgeons took skin grafts from Jordan's right thigh to patch up his scalp.

She said: "But eight days after the accident Jason was arrested.

"I didn't know at the time, but during the operation surgeons had found a spot on the skull was burned, indicating the oil had been poured onto Jordan.

"Unknown to me, the police and Social Services were contacted.

"I went with Jason for his first appearance at Leeds Magistrates' Court to support him. But when the medical evidence was read out I started - it was a shock.''

Jordan is now attending nursery three days a week and has made many friends.

"He wears a baseball cap or woolly hat whenever he goes outside," said Emma.

"When children stare at his scalp he will tell them he's got a poorly head and make friends with them."