Man found guilty of murdering baby son in Workington
Reece Kelly, 31, had previously admitted manslaughter
Last updated 1st Nov 2023
A man's been found guilty of murdering his baby son.
Reece Kelly, from Workington was looking after four-month-old Dallas Kelly at home in October 2021 when the fatal incident happened.
Dallas had suffered a traumatic head injury and died in hospital a few days later.
Experts found he'd suffered fractured ribs in the days before his death as well.
Kelly, who's 31, had denied murder, instead admitting to manslaughter - but has now been convicted by a jury, at Carlisle Crown Court.
Dallas' mum Georgia Wright, who's 23 and also from Workington, has been found not guilty of causing or allowing his death.
She was convicted though of one count of child cruelty.
Their convictions follow a trial lasting more than two weeks at Carlisle Crown Court.
They will be sentenced on Monday 20 November 2023.
Detective Superintendent Jenny Beattie, who led the investigation into Dallas’ death, said:
“Both Reece Kelly and Georgia Wright denied their involvement throughout a lengthy and thorough criminal investigation into the death of their son.
“It took until the first day of the trial for Reece Kelly to admit manslaughter, however the evidence collated underlined he used significant force in shaking Dallas.
“A jury have heard the evidence gathered by the officers of Cumbria Constabulary and put before them by the Crown Prosecution Service - and found them guilty. I would like to thank the jury for the attention they have shown during a trial containing distressing evidence.
“I would also like to thank our colleagues within the Crown Prosecution Service and prosecuting counsel Mr Richard Littler KC and Mr Tim Evans for the manner in which the case has been prepared and delivered at trial.
Detective Superintendent Jenny Beattie continued:
“As a parent you have no greater responsibility than to your child. Reece Kelly and Georgia Wright did not provide the care that a young child requires.
“They regularly left Dallas unsupervised whilst they took drugs. They failed to take him to medical appointments and are still to take full responsibility for their actions.
“Lastly, I must thank the dedicated team of officers and staff from Cumbria Constabulary who worked on this investigation. The impact this has had on everyone involved in this case is significant, yet we have diligently worked to establish the facts.
“From the outset, the objective of our investigation was to robustly and sensitively establish what happened to Dallas. No verdict or sentence will bring Dallas back; however, we now know that the person responsible for his death has been brought to justice.”