January 2017

Man jailed for leaving six-month-old baby with life-changing injuries

A BRIDGWATER man has been jailed after shaking a six-month-old baby so viciously he was left with life-changing injuries.

Pople, 30, of Woolavington, was jailed this afternoon at Taunton Crown Court for four and a half years for the attack.

The court heard that on the night of November 17, 2015, Pople had been out drinking following the funeral of his close cousin.

Judge David Evans, sentencing, said Pople returned to his home where he was living with his now-former partner and her six-month-old baby and quickly lost his temper, getting into an argument with her.

The court heard that she left the house in fear of Pople and phoned his family to try and get his brother or sister to come over and calm him down.

Minutes later Pople came downstairs holding the limp baby and tried to flag down a car to take to hospital, the court heard.

Prosecuting, William Hunter said the baby was taken to Bridgwater MIU and then to Musgrove Park Hospital, and received urgent treatment and doctors managed to save his life.

However, he suffered an extremely severe brain injury and a fractured skull, he has a severe visual impairment and active epilepsy, and is now fed via a gastrostomy tube.

As a result of the assault in Bridgwater in November 2015 the boy is now severely disabled and will require lifelong care.

Sentencing, Judge David Evans said: “The background to this case is that you started a relationship with your former partner when she was four months pregnant with an ex-partner’s child and you were preparing to take on the role of the father – a position you had never been in before.

“You initially took on the role enthusiastically for the first few months but fell into depression following the sudden death of your brother.”

Judge Evans said there was increasing evidence of Pople losing control of his temper in that period, saying the court had heard evidence of audio footage of Pople yelling and abusing the baby and his partner just a month before the incident took place.

“You are an arrogant and self-centred man unable to acknowledge his own flaws,” Judge Evans said.

“You had been drinking lager and cider all afternoon and into the evening following the funeral of your close cousin.

“You came home and started to find fault with your partner but you soon both put the baby to bed.

“You proceeded to start an argument with your partner and quickly became aggressive without justification and would not stop.

“You frightened her and she left the house as to avoid further confrontation. It is a measure of how scared she was that she left house wearing just a vest top, leggings and socks on a cold November night.”

Judge Evans said the mother called Pople’s brother and sister to try and come over and intervene to calm him down.

“Your sister realised that you had lost your temper and would require intervention and headed over to Bath Road with her partner, but you did not know she was on her way over,” Judge Evans said.

“Minutes later you appeared outside the house holding the gravely injured baby in your arms.

“You had vented your frustration and rage on objects, furniture in the house and most awfully on a six-month-old baby.

“You must have completely lost control. You shook him with appalling force and fractured his skull with the impact on a hard surface.

“You knew what you had done, and you knew the scene afterwards would reveal the truth if someone happened upon it so instead of calling 999 you went onto the street to flag down a motorist.”

Judge Evans said the baby may have been saved by the coincidental arrival of your sister who took the baby to Bridgwater MIU who promptly called for an ambulance for the baby to be taken to Musgrove Park Hospital.

Judge Evans continued: “At Musgrove you spoke to your mother on the phone in a conversation that was overheard by a doctor where it was clear you tipped your mother off about what to clear up, including your blood at the scene.

“It does your family no credit whatsoever that they were willing to engage in a clean up operation to protect you.

“You held back the truth in a police interview and quite deliberately tried to blame the boy’s mother.

“Your version of events was ludicrous but you stuck with it.

“You have shown genuine anguish in court but not once have you had the courage to admit your sole responsibility. The harm you caused has been truly appalling.”

Judge Evans read the latest doctor’s report on the child’s injuries, which said he suffered an extremely severe brain injury, which has resulted in severe disability, severe visual impairment and active epilepsy and has to be fed via gastrostomy tube. 

“He is physically dependent on others for all of his care and that level of dependency on others will be lifelong, however long that life may be. You have destroyed the baby’s life,” Judge Evans said.

“Short of death it is hard to imagine what more harm you could do to a six month old baby.”