Adelaide father jailed for assaulting baby son, causing severe and permanent brain damage

A father who snapped, assaulting his baby son and leaving him with permanent brain damage, has been told his stress was no excuse.

A father who “snapped” and shook or threw his four-month-old twin son against a hard surface, causing severe and permanent brain damage, has been jailed for at least 15 months.

The District Court on Thursday jailed the father, 34, for four years and nine months, with a non-parole period of two years and five months, but partly suspended the sentence.

In sentencing, Judge Paul Muscat said the father was “unable to cope with the stress and pressure of being left alone with four young children, two of whom were only babies”.

He said the children’s mother had travelled interstate for a family occasion in January 2019, leaving the father to care for the children.

“You must have been rattled and tired but that provides no excuse for what you did,” Judge Muscat said.

“It can often be difficult to be a parent but there exists a golden rule in life and that is never, ever hurt your children.

“You snapped that night and now (the boy’s) life … (is) forever changed.”

Judge Muscat said the father, who The Advertiser is not naming to protect the identity of the victim and his mother, had lied to medical staff and delayed seeking help for his son.

The boy was rushed to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital suffering seizures. He had “significant skull fractures” and bleeding on the brain.

The father is yet to fully explain what happened but doctors said it was likely the baby was swung, or thrown, resulting in an impact on a hard surface, or vigorously shaken.

Judge Muscat said a forensic psychologist formed the opinion the father was under more stress than usual, compounded by his sleep deprivation while parenting his four young children alone.

He said the psychologist found the father had likely “overreacted when (the baby) started sooking and crying for food and, in that context, refused to be soothed back to sleep”.

The child, who is now almost three years old, suffers cerebral palsy, a visual impairment, feeding issues and is delayed developmentally.

The father pleaded guilty in April – on the day he was due to stand trial – to one aggravated count of recklessly causing serious harm.

Judge Muscat ordered the man be jailed for 15 months before being placed on a three-year good-behaviour bond.

He said the partial sentence suspension was due to the father’s offending being out of character and a “temporary loss of control” with no suggestion of any prior violence toward his children.

Instead, Judge Muscat said the man was known as “calm and collected” and regarded as a good father who loved his children and was never rough with them.

“The consequences to your son have been devastating,” Judge Muscat said.

“Babies are vulnerable and entirely dependent on those who provide for their care to protect them and not harm them in any way.”