Clydebank man jailed for attempted murder of 9 month old baby

A man who was convicted of attempting to murder a nine-month-old baby girl has been jailed for six years.

Twenty-one-year-old William Robertson launched a violent attack on the defenceless baby which left her with a fractured skull and massive bruising to her forehead and ear.

The attempted murder took place at his flat at Jean Armour Drive, Clydebank, on September 9, 2017 while he was caring for the infant, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Jailing Robertson at the High Court in Glasgow Judge Norman Ritchie told him: “You were convicted of endangering the life of a vulnerable, defenceless child. You caused significant injury, but by good fortune the child has recovered well.”

Judge Ritchie ordered that Robertson should be monitored in the community for two years after his release to protect the public.

Robertson claimed that the baby had sustained her injuries in a fall from a couch. However, medical experts said that her horrific injuries were caused by more than one incident.

In evidence, Robertson insisted he was sleeping and was wakened by the baby falling off the couch.

He denied ever hitting the baby and claimed: “I'm not a monster.”

Robertson also denied he was drunk and angry that night, although he admitted downing a can of Dragon's Soup and some Mad Dog 20 20.

He claimed he was prepared to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence and said “ I asked for a lie detector test and for a hypnotist. I tried to get on the Jeremy Kyle Show for a lie detector test.”

But the jury did not believe him and found him guilty of attempting to murder the baby by repeatedly striking her on the head and body or by means unknown to the prosecutor.

The court heard that Robertson ran to his mother's nearby house at 4am with the seriously injured baby in his arms.

An ambulance was called and at the Royal Children's Hospital the baby was found to have suffered a fractured skull and extensive bruising.

The child's mother, aged 19, said Robertson phoned to say her daughter was in hospital and added “He was trying to sound upset. I could tell it was put on by the tone of his voice. It was as if he was pretending to cry.”

The mum said when she arrived at the hospital around 4.20am Robertson was sitting on a chair and her daughter was in a hospital bed screaming and crying.

She said: “He was sitting next to my daughter. He was not trying to comfort her. He said 'It's not what it looks like.'

“I could smell drink off him and his eyes were just all over the place.”

She said that Robertson gave her three different accounts of how the baby came to be injured.

The child, who is now aged two, has made a full recovery.

Defence QC Donald Findlay said that his client continues to maintain he is innocent and it was an accidental fall.

Mr Findlay added: “Whatever happened on this occasion he failed and will pay the penalty for that failure.