Gold Coast crime: Baby shaken by dad who took two weeks to tell doctors what happened

A Gold Coast man who injured his six-month-old son in a violent act failed to tell puzzled doctors what had happened for more than two weeks.

The man pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to assault occasioning bodily harm. Photo: Scott Fletcher.

A GOLD Coast man who shook his six month old boy twice because the infant was crying did not tell doctors what he had done for more than two weeks.

The baby had been in and out of hospital, was floppy, lethargic and vomiting, and it took days for doctors to realise the boy had a bleed on the brain.

The boy’s father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Monday to assault occasioning bodily harm.

Judge Catherine Muir sentenced him to two years prison with immediate release on parole.

“This is serious violent offending committed by you against a vulnerable child,” she said.

“A child who needs your protection not for your to lose control and shake him for crying.”

Judge Muir accepted it was a “one off” event.

“You should have told your partner and the hospital straight away.”

Crown prosecutor Michael Mitchell told the court the boy’s mother returned home from work on March 15 last year to find the boy, floppy, lethargic and vomiting.

She took the boy to hospital but they were unable to find anything wrong.

A lumbar puncture was taken to rule out meningitis.

The boy was sent home but over the next two weeks the mother return to doctors multiple times because the boy was acting “off”.

An MRI was taken on March 30 which revealed a bleed on the brain.

Police interviewed the man twice on April 7 and 8 but he denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Mitchell said the boy’s mother continued to question him that night.

“He admitted to shaking the child twice after the child would not stop crying,” he said.

The man failed to tell doctors what had happened for more than two weeks. Picture: istock

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Mr Mitchell said police spoke to him again and the man admitted to shaking the boy for about two seconds.

“It is disturbing because it was committed on someone so young, vulnerable and defenceless,” he said.

“It is not suggested the offending was anything other than an act of frustration due to the child’s crying.”

The court was told the boy’s parents have now split.

The boy is in his mother’s care and the man has supervised visits with him. The man has been granted overnight visits with his two older children.

Defence barrister John McInnes, instructed by Legal Aid Queensland, said the man was remorseful for his actions.

He said the man’s father had been a drunk who was on occasion violent.

Mr McInnes said the man moved to Australia at 18 and could potentially be deported.