Man convicted of attempted murder of 2 year old boy

Man found guilty of attempted murder of two year old days

A court's heard a martial fan tried to kill a two year-old boy while babysitting the child.

David McMullen attacked the child just days before Christmas 2016.

The youngster was described as “gravely ill” as he was rushed to hospital for immediate surgery.

The boy suffered a tear in his stomach which could have killed him.

A trial heard how violent McMullen trained in Muay Thai fighting at the time.

Prosecutors said McMullen “delivered a blow” to the tiny victim resulting in the near-fatal internal injury.

But, despite the evidence, the boy's mum told jurors she did not believe the thug was responsible.

McMullen – a chef who helps run a sushi company – is now behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was guilty of inflicting massive "blunt force trauma" to the child by "means unknown".

McMullen, of the city's Provanmill, will learn his fate next month.

He was looking after the boy at his home in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire while his mum was at work.

The child was sleeping when she left on the morning of December 21 2016.

But, a panicked McMullen later called stating the boy was sick and “freezing cold”.

The mum rushed home and gave her ill son a cuddle.

She recalled: “He told me his tummy was sore. It felt quite hard.

“I wrapped him in a big fluffy cover, but I could still feel how cold he was. I could also see that his lips were blue.”

The mum and McMullen raced the child to hospital.

The boy had bruising on his stomach. It was quickly decided he needed surgery.

The split to the colon and intestine area was described as “rare”.

His mum told jurors: “I remember crying and being shocked. I just wanted to make sure my son was OK.

“The doctors were asking what happened, but I directed them to David as I was not there.”

Consultant surgeon Nicola Brindley operated on the child.

Prosecutor Michael Meehan asked how ill the two year-old had been.

Miss Brindley: “He was a gravely ill little boy. He could have died.”

The mum and McMullen were later told by medics they believed the injury was “non accidental”.

She recalled the surgeon stating to her: “I am telling you someone has done this to your child.”

But, the mum “refused to believe” the boy had been deliberately harmed.

McMullen's QC Gordon Jackson asked her: “Had you any suspicion that David had done anything?”

She replied: “No.”

Mr Jackson: “You still don't have a suspicion?”

The mum again said: “No.”

The witness claimed police told her they had “enough” to “convict David, nevermind charge him”.

The QC: “So, all of a sudden David was guilty?”

The mum: “Yes.”

Mr Jackson: “You still don't agree with these conclusions?”

She told him: “No.”

The woman denied trying to “protect” McMullen insisting he had previously looked after the boy.

She added: “If I had any concerns, I would not have left him.”

The court also heard the boy also hurt his face days before the murder bid.

But, McMullen insisted he accidentally hit the child with a door while babysitting him.

McMullen told jurors he had never deliberately harmed the boy.

Asked how he felt when he was charged, he said: "Quite upset. All I wanted to do was be by the boy and his mum's side."

McMullen insisted if he had the "slightest idea" how the boy was hurt, he would say.

But, Mr Meehan put to him: "My position is you delivered a blow that caused the injury. It was you who did that."

McMullen: "That is not true".

Lord Armstrong deferred sentencing for reports