Dad, 29, guilty of killing six-month-old son Kairo Hollick found ‘floppy and not breathing’ after he was ‘shaken’

A DAD has been found guilty of killing his six-month-old son – after claiming he found the baby “floppy and not breathing”.

Kairo Hollick died in his mother’s arms at Birmingham Children’s Hospital on February 12, 2020.

His father David Hollick, 29, has today been found guilty of manslaughter following Kairo’s death.

Hollick had taken Kairo to Walsall Manor Hospital in the early hours of February 9, 2020.

The Walsall dad told doctors that he had found Kairo “floppy and not breathing”.

He added that he had shaken his baby son in a failed bid to revive him.

Doctors found a bleed on Kairo’s brain and transferred him to the Children’s Hospital in nearby Birmingham.

They discovered the full extent of his injuries – which were not survivable.

The medics made the heartbreaking decision to turn off Kairo’s life support.

A post-mortem showed that Kairo had suffered two complex skull fractures resulting in catastrophic brain injury.

The skull fractures and another fracture to Kairo’s arm were found to have been caused by blunt forced trauma.

Hollick refused to explain Kairo’s horrific injuries – denying any criminal involvement in the baby’s death.

But he has now been found guilty of killing his son after a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The dad had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and told the court he had fallen with Kairo in his arms.

‘DEFENCELESS’

Kairo’s mother did not live with Hollick at the time of the baby’s death.

In a statement, she said: “It has been four years since we lost Kairo and our hearts are still as broken as the day he was so cruelly taken from us.

“He deserved to be safe in the care of his father and he deserved to still be here today.

“We are devastated to learn of the sheer brutality inflicted on Kairo and it will haunt our family for the rest of our days.

“Kai was the light of our lives and the embodiment of innocence and without him we are broken. 
 
“We hope now after all of this time that he can finally rest. We will grieve him forever. 
 
“We would like to send thanks to medical staff at both Walsall Manor Hospital and Birmingham Children’s ICU for caring for Kairo with such dignity and respect in his final days. 
 
“My family and I would also like to thank DC Donna Kenny, our family liaison officer and the entire investigation team for the hard work, constant support and guidance over the past four years.

“We would also like to thank both prosecuting barristers. They have all helped us find some closure in what has been the most tragic of circumstances that any family could imagine.”
 
Chief Inspector Laura Harrison said: “The death of a child is unimaginable to comprehend, especially a defenceless six-month-old who should be in the safest hands possible with his parent.
 
“Our thoughts remain with Kairo’s family as they continue to grieve his loss.”

David Hollick will be sentenced at the start of March.