Church-going father jailed for shaking baby son to death in 'burst of anger'

Richard Skinner pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to causing the death of his son Johnathon who died in August last year.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Skinner had shaken his baby because of its "piercing crying" during a period when he had been suffering from sleep deprivation.

Skinner, who worked as a Computer Aided Design (CAD) operator, had also been "bottling up" problems including large debts and increased stress at his work due to covering maternity leave for his colleagues.

The court was told that Skinner had awoken with a headache on August 6 and had been left in sole charge of Johnathon that afternoon following a trip to the supermarket in the morning.

As his wife, Rachel, returned to the family home in Kenson Gardens, Southampton, Hampshire, she found her husband with a "lifeless" Johnathon in his arms while he was on the telephone to the emergency services.

Anthony Davies QC, defending, said Skinner had dialled 999 and told the operator: "I need an ambulance, my baby is going blue. It's my fault, I shook my baby a couple of times and I wish I hadn't."

Johnathon was rushed to hospital where he was treated in intensive care before being transferred to a specialist paediatric unit, but he died on his father's lap in hospital two weeks later on August 21.

The court was told that the cause of death was a head injury consistent with the baby having been shaken.

Mr Davies said the defendant, a regular church-goer, had admitted what he had done immediately and was repentant as well as remorseful.

He added: "He felt devastated, cross with himself, hurt, ashamed and sickened by what he had done.

"It is quite clear the distress this defendant was suffering, so much so that he tried to commit suicide in January 2007."

Mr Davies said that Skinner's family and friends had continued to support him.

Mr Justice Irwin, who banned Skinner from working with children under the age of five for the rest of his life, said he hoped he would be able to forgive himself.

He said: "This is a tragedy, mostly for your baby but I accept for you and the rest of your family and friends.

"In a momentary loss of control or burst of anger, you shook your son.

"The stark fact of death means that you must go to prison, it would be entirely wrong if the outcome was otherwise.

"I sincerely hope you will be able to reassemble and reassert your family life. I hope, in due course, you will be able to forgive yourself."