Edinburgh Man Jailed For 15 Years After Leaving Baby Severely Disabled
An Edinburgh man with an admitted temper problem who left a four-week-old baby with catastrophic injuries after a murder bid was jailed for 15 years today (Thurs 27th Aug).
Ross Dunn shook the little girl and struck her off a surface after he was left looking after the tot and her older sister when her mother went out.
His victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered a fractured skull, broken leg, eye damage, bleeding and bruising following the attack at her home in Edinburgh. She is now registered blind.
A judge told Dunn at the High Court in Edinburgh: "This was an inexplicable, horrendous crime committed on a tiny baby."
Lord Malcolm said: "It is plain that only a lengthy custodial sentence would be appropriate."
The judge pointed out that the assault left the child with multiple injuries and has left the victim "permanently and severely disabled".
"She will never be able to enjoy a normal life. It was only thanks to the excellent care and treatment from doctors and other staff at the Sick Children's Hospital that she survived," said the judge.
"Nonetheless, the impact upon her mother, sister and other family could hardly be more serious," he added.
Lord Malcolm said the jury at his trial had concluded that the nature and severity of the assault on the child demonstrated that at the time he did not care whether the child lived or died and thus convicted of attempted murder
The child's mother told the High Court in Edinburgh: "She is a good little girl, but she has been left with very severe, lifelong disabilities."
"She is not mobile. She is very floppy like a small baby. She will likely never stand, walk, even sit by herself," she told jurors.
Dunn (28) had earlier denied attempting to murder the child at a flat in Edinburgh on November 17 in 2013 but was found guilty after a trial.
He was convicted of assaulting her to her severe injury and permanent impairment by seizing her by the body, shaking her, striking her against a surface or by means unknown to the prosecutor and attempting to murder her.
He was also found guilty of failing to seek timely medical aid for the child knowing she was unwell and failing to tell doctors treating her the way in which she was injured.