Judge Duncan Harvey, though, told the Dunedin District Court yesterday it was not for the 24-year-old defendant’s benefit, but to protect his daughter and the rest of the family.
The man, who previously pleaded guilty to child neglect, was sentenced to six months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision.
The judge described it as "very serious offending".
On the night of August 4, the defendant put the 2-year-old into her cot but before he left the room, he used an item of clothing to bind her legs together.
He placed a blanket over the girl and went to sleep in another room, but the following morning, the victim’s mother found her crying.
Court documents said the knot was so tight, the mother struggled to undo it.
She noticed the toddler’s legs were "red and swollen with visible ligature marks ... from where she was bound".
They found the girl was unable to bear her own weight or return her leg to a neutral position.
In a statement, the mother said the girl was unable to walk for a period and it was the end of September before she fully recovered.
When she confronted the defendant, he offered no explanation, the court heard.
More than a week later, the victim’s mother sought medical treatment for the girl and a police report was filed.
The defendant admitted to officers he tied his daughter’s legs together, but explained he had done so to stop her moving around in her cot and getting cold.
"You said you didn’t intentionally cause her to suffer," Judge Harvey said.
"I take a somewhat cynical approach to that."
Counsel Meg Scally put her client’s actions down to his mental-health issues, poor parenting skills, immaturity and sleep deprivation.
The defendant had since completed a parenting course and was being treated by a counsellor.
The judge said it would be critical the man remained engaged with psychological supports.
While the defendant had previous convictions, only one of them involved violence and it was not against a child, the court heard.
"Fortunately there’s no lasting injury," Judge Harvey said.
