Wisbech father jailed after baby son left with bleed on brain
A neighbour had to perform CPR on the child
Last updated 12th Jul 2023
A father who shook his baby son so severely that he was left with a bleed on the brain has been jailed for more than a year.
The man in his 20s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left looking after the boy for just over an hour on 30 May, 2019.
Paramedics were called at 3.40pm by a neighbour who told them the boy, who was 10 months old, wasn’t breathing properly.
They were told the man had come out of the house in Wisbech shouting for help. The neighbour performed CPR and by the time an ambulance arrived, the little boy was breathing again.
The baby was taken to hospital where checks by medical professionals revealed he had a bleed on the brain, retinal bleeding behind his eyes and bruises of varying age all over his body.
The father was arrested, and claimed the bruises were from the youngster learning to walk and “just bumping into things”.
He told police the baby was playing happily and “just went floppy” after falling off a child-sized chair. He claimed the baby had refused a nap all day and thought he had cried himself unconscious.
However, medical experts believed the boy’s injuries were non-accidental, were likely a result of shaking, and the excessive bruising was due to “rough or impatient handling or lack of supervision”.
The father was later served a postal requisition charging him with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
He later pleaded guilty to GBH without intent and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (7 July) where he was handed one year and eight months in prison.
Sentencing, Judge Peter Rook KC said it was clear he “shook the child severely”, after losing control when the young boy was disturbed, crying and expected to be having a nap.
He praised the neighbour who performed CPR on the baby, saying her actions may well have saved the child’s life and highlighting that the incident had had a “detrimental effect” on the woman.
Judge Rook added the shaking of the baby caused severe injury, which could have proved fatal had the bleeding continued, but “happily and most fortunately” the boy had made a good recovery and left hospital four days after being admitted.
He was urged to suspend the father’s prison sentence and heard mitigation that he was now in a new relationship, had matured and was in work - but rejected the proposal, stating the risks from severe shaking were “just too high, even if a temporary loss of self-control.”
DC Amanda Sylvester, who investigated, said: “This was a shocking and upsetting case in which a boy of just 10 months old suffered significant injuries. His father was one of the people he relied upon to keep him safe but he did the opposite.
“Thankfully, the young boy is now thriving in a safe and happy environment, but the outcome could have been much worse if the appropriate agencies had not become involved when they did.
“I’d like to praise the medical professionals who noticed when something didn’t seem quite right, and the neighbour who gave important first aid before paramedics arrived.
“I would also urge anyone who is concerned for the welfare of a child to report it. We all have a responsibility to protect children in our communities – just one call could make all the difference.”