Hamilton man admits leaving baby boy with brain damage

A thug left a baby brain damaged - after being alone with the child for just nine minutes.

Derek Barr violently shook the seven month old boy having earlier been described as being in a "pure rage".

Barr tried to get the baby's mum to lie to police that the youngster was hurt after choking on his bottle.

But, the woman later told officers the 22 year-old was responsible stating: "I know it was him that done it."

Barr now faces a lengthy jail term after he pled guilty to assaulting the boy to his danger of life in January last year.

It emerged he had lost the plot with another woman with her child months earlier.

Barr, of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, will learn his fate next month.

He had been with the mum and her baby at the woman's home in Motherwell, also Lanarkshire, on January 30 2018.

A neighbour heard a baby crying and a male shouting as if in a "pure rage".

The High Court in Glasgow was told the mum later went out briefly that evening.

Prosecutor Kath Harper then said: "She confirmed her son was fit and well when she left.

"But, he was floppy and unresponsive in the arms of Barr on her return nine minutes later."

Barr called an ambulance and paramedics rushed the ill child to hospital.

He was found to have a brain injury, bleeding in his eyes as well as bruising on his stomach and head.

Miss Harper: "It was thought at one point the child would not survive. He did and has recovered to some degree."

The baby spent five weeks in hospital before being allowed home.

The prosecutor: "It is a expected he will continue to make progress, but it is difficult to predict long term outcomes."

The boy has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy with his vision and speech badly affected

He will need ongoing therapy.

Medical experts concluded the child had suffered abusive head trauma - once known as shaken baby syndrome.

The court heard Barr told police the boy's mum had been feeding her son before the child fell unconscious in her arms.

The mum initially backed the claims - but then identified Barr as the culprit.

She recalled her son being "lifeless" with Barr and that she yelled at him to call an ambulance.

The woman added: "Derek told me to tell the police the baby had choked on a bottle.

"Derek was as white as a sheet. I know it was him that done it."

The court was told, that in July 2017, Barr had flipped at a woman while she was with her two month old son.

He branded her a "s**t" and demanded she give him the child.

The terrified woman hid in a bedroom in the house in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, but Barr barged his way in.

Barr went on to trash the baby's cot as the mum raced to the bathroom for safety.

He pled guilty in court to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner in connection with this incident.

Sentencing was deferred for reports.