Man jailed for the attempted murder of toddler in Blackpool
Lewis Prince has been sentenced to 26 years in jail - as well as being put on an extended licence
Last updated 4th Aug 2023
A dangerous man who attempted to murder a toddler in Blackpool has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Police were called at 8.17am on December 7, last year, after reports a toddler had been assaulted.
A jury at Preston Crown Court heard that repeated assault by defendant Lewis Prince in which he slapped and punched the boy was captured in part on film.
He was also witnessed strangling and smothering the tot.
The body was taken to hospital, where he received treatment for extensive bruising to his face and throat. Medical experts said the injuries were consistent with strangulation.
Prince then fled the scene, but was caught by officers whilst driving to Manchester.
During the trial Prince accepted that he had lied in his police interview and he had in fact slapped the toddler to the face and squeezed his cheeks in an attempt to stop him from crying.
The 29-year-old denied attempted murder, stating that he at no point strangled nor smothered the victim.
The jury rejected took around an hour to find Prince unanimously guilty. He had already pleaded guilty to an assault by beating charge, which related to an assault on a woman.
Sitting at Preston Crown Court, Judge Robert Altham, The Recorder of Preston, jailed Prince for 26 years. He also deemed Prince to be a dangerous offender and imposed a further four-year extended licence period.
DS Isobel Garratt, of West CID, said: “Prince’s sickening attack could quite easily have resulted in the victim losing his life. Fortunately, he has since made a full recovery but anyone who watched the harrowing footage of the assault will know that the outcome could quite easily have been different.
“I cannot imagine what the victim’s mother went through having to watch the footage both at the time and then re-live it during the trial. I would like to take this chance to praise her for the bravery she has shown throughout this process. I know Prince’s abhorrent crime committed against her defenceless child continues to have a profound impact on her.
“I welcome the sentence handed down today, which reflects the serious nature of Prince’s crime and the dangerousness he poses.
“Finally I want to praise the professionalism of all my colleagues who worked on this case, from the officers who were first called to the scene, to the detectives, uniformed colleagues and police staff who worked on compiling the evidence that brought Prince before the courts and got justice for the victim and his loved ones.”