A single mother was on Friday sentenced to 18 months of probation for hitting her eight-year-old son, who was addicted to playing with electronic devices.

The 45-year-old, who suffers from mood disorder, was earlier found guilty of wilful assault and ill-treatment of a child.

Her lawyer said in mitigation that the boy suffers from attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder and would refuse to do his homework or eat when he was glued to the screen.

The lawyer described the case as one patient taking care of another, saying the boy is now living in a children's home and wants to move back with his mother again.

In sentencing, West Kowloon magistrate Tsang Hing-tung said it was an unfortunate case, as the woman was in a difficult situation raising the child on her own.

He reminded the defendant, who was only identified by her initials in court, to bear in mind that studies showed that violence is something children would pick up from their parents.

The court previously heard that the mother had hung the boy upside down for around 10 seconds in September last year, hitting him with a slipper and hanger.

The assault resulted in the boy experiencing breathing difficulties and sustaining minor injuries.