Salford man found guilty of attempting to murder Blackpool toddler
29-year-old Lewis Prince strangled the two-year-old during a 50-minute attack
A man has been found guilty for attempting to murder a two-year-old boy last December.
29-year-old Lewis Prince of Browning Road, Salford had previously admitted attacking the toddler last year during a 50-minute ordeal but denied attempted murder.
The baby's mum was alerted to the assault whilst on her way to an early morning doctor's appointment when she received a notification on her phone from an app linked to a 'cot-cam'.
She told police she saw Prince hitting and punching the child who'd woken him by crying.
In an interview with police officers played in court, the baby's mum said: "He slapped him and I was like - right - there was no need for that and then he just kept doing it over and over again."
"I didn’t stay for my appointment, I was literally running home shaking... I heard him screaming and I couldn’t listen to it so had to turn it off."
"When I got home I ran straight into the baby's room pushed him out the way and picked him up so I could cuddle him."
"You could clearly see he had black eyes and I just screamed at Lewis. He was floppy wouldn’t sit up, wouldn’t stay awake, I was just like he’s covered in bruises."
During the trial, the court heard evidence from medical experts who suggested the boy's injuries were "consistent with strangulation".
The prosecution alleged Prince had carried out the attack after becoming angry at the way the toddler treated his French Bulldog but his defence said that motive "didn't make sense."
Giving evidence Prince told the jury that he knew his actions were "wrong" and what he had done made him feel "sickened" and "worthless" but insisted he never set out to kill the baby.
He is set to be sentenced on the 4th of August.