Man, 30, who violently shook six-month-old baby with such ‘appalling force’ that the tot was left brain damaged and severely disabled is jailed
Mother tells court 'I cannot put into words the devastation this has caused us'
A THUG who violently shook a six-month-old baby and banged his head against a hard service, leaving him severely disabled, has been jailed for four-and-a-half-years.
Benjamin Pople's attack left the youngster with a significant bleed on the brain, retinal haemorrhages and a fractured skull.
A court heard that the youngster is now severely disabled and will require lifelong care.
The 30-year-old from Somerset was found guilty of GBH at Taunton Crown Court after denying causing the injuries in November 2015.
Passing sentence for the attack Judge David Evans described Pople as "arrogant and self-centred" and said he had "destroyed" the child's life.
related stories
He also said Pople's failure to call 999 after he had shaken the boy with "appalling force" increased his culpability.
Through a statement read in court the youngster's mother said: "My son’s life has been changed forever. My life has been changed forever. I cannot put into words the devastation this has caused us.
"I wish I could turn back time but I can’t. I wish I could go back to a time when he was a ‘normal, healthy, happy little baby, but I can’t. I will never get my little boy back.
"He will never be able to tell me how he is feeling and that he loves me. He will never be able to ask what happened to him. However, as long as he’s in my care I will care for him and make sure he is never hurt again.
"I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that his life span will be short and so I want to make the most of the limited time that we have. No one can describe the pain of knowing that your child will die before you."
The boy's father added in a separate statement: "Due to the horrific injuries inflicted on my son he will never be able to do the same things that other children take for granted such as walking and talking and I will never be able to enjoy the normal things that a father would want to do with his son."
Detective Inspector Lorna Dallimore, of the Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “This was a tragic incident in which a young boy has been left badly brain damaged and has been robbed of the active life which he would have otherwise lived.
“His mother has also had her life drastically changed as she will now have to provide constant care for her son. She has been extremely brave throughout this ordeal and her courage must be praised.
“I hope the prison term Pople will now have to serve will in some small way be of comfort to the boy’s mother and his extended family. They can hopefully start to rebuild their shattered lives now in the knowledge the man responsible is behind bars."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368