A babysitter who admitted inflicting "horrific" injuries on a two-year-old girl he was looking after is fighting to stay off the sex offenders register.

The toddler was left so traumatised after the attack by Jaimi Watt, 24, that she kept her eyes closed for 24 hours.

The child had a human bite mark on her thigh, bruised mouth, swollen lip and internal injuries.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, Lord Woolman was addressed by lawyers on whether or not Watt should be placed on the register ahead of sentencing.

Defence solicitor advocate John Scott QC said: "He is anxious to deny any sexual gratification. There is not any evidence to suggest sexual gratification."

Advocate depute Andrew Stewart QC agreed, saying: "The Crown does not see it as an indecent assault."

He added they believed the motivation was violent rather than sexual gratification.

Watt previously admitted assaulting the little girl to her severe injury on March 16, 2011.

He had been left to look after the girl when her mother went to work. When her grandmother picked her up for nursery she noticed the girl was distressed.

She was crying and rubbing one of her eyes. During the journey to nursery, she continued to cry, kept her eyes shut and said her bottom was "dirty".

The girl’s family took her to the Sick Kids Hospital after seeing she was bleeding.

Advocate depute Alison Di Rollo told the court: "All the way she kept her eyes shut. She did not open them again until the following morning."

Ms Di Rollo said the examination of the girl had to be carried out under general anaesthetic because she was so distressed.

She said: "Police and medical staff who were present as events unfolded speak of a distinct feeling of mutual shock in the examination room, of recoiling as her injuries became apparent and of having difficulty keeping emotions in check."

Consultant paediatric surgeon, Amanda McCabe, who operated on her, described the internal injuries as "horrific". Forensic physician Dr Michael Kaim said the girl would have been in agony because of her injuries and presented as a severely abused child.

A consultant paediatrician, Dr Dayeel Goh, described the injuries sustained by the child as "terrible".

Ms Di Rollo told the court: "According to her, her demeanour prior to examination was consistent with her being terrified and shutting the world out. She has never seen such an acutely traumatised child.

"All the professionals involved in this case have been profoundly affected by what they saw."

The court heard Watt had contacted a friend and told him the child "had been a nightmare".

The advocate depute told the court the child was expected to make a full physical recovery but they did not know if she would be able to remember the attack or not. A relative said she was still wary of men.