Man shook his baby nephew to death to keep him quiet so he could watch football

James Scott, 31, killed little Arlo Breslin while his mother was on the school run at the house he shared with his sister in Stoke, Coventry, on June 29, 2018.

The three-month-old premature tot suffered a "catastrophic head injury" and died two days later at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

A court heard Scott left the child "lifeless and floppy" after shaking him in a bid to keep him quiet so he could watch the football highlights on TV.

Scott’s sister Sarah Breslin had taken her three older children to school and left her son Arlo in the care of her brother while Arlo’s father went to work.

When she returned home around 45 minutes later, Scott was screaming her name and holding Arlo in his arms. The baby wasn’t moving and an ambulance was called.

Arlo was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest but despite the best efforts of medics later died.

A post-mortem found the child had died of a catastrophic head injury, caused by non-accidental shaking.

Scott denied shaking his nephew or causing any injuries, claiming the baby had been sleeping, but when he went to check on him he was convulsing and having a fit.

He was cleared of murder but was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at Warwick Crown Court on Friday (December 10).

Jailing him for nine years, Judge Martin Griffiths said: "Arlo was a sweet and tiny baby. He was loved not only by his parents, but by his grandparents, his sister and his brothers.

“He was born prematurely but by the time you killed him doctors thought he had got over all of that. His mother described him as her ‘miracle baby.’ He was feeding and developing well.

"He was three months old. He had his whole life ahead of him. You and Arlo were part of the same, loving, close-knit family. Arlo’s mother, your sister, gave you somewhere to live when you were unemployed and had fallen out with your parents.

"With a big heart and a sister’s love, she welcomed you into her home, although the only place for you to sleep was on the sofa. Your sister trusted you to help her look after the children from time to time, and she had good reason to trust you.

"Everyone agrees that you were brilliant with all the children, and you were devoted to Arlo. Sometimes you were asked to watch over Arlo and give him a bottle, already prepared for you, when he wanted it.

"That is what happened on the morning of June 29, 2018. Arlo’s mother got the three older children ready for school and went off with them, leaving you alone with Arlo. She left him lying in your arms and drifting off to sleep.

“She was only away for 45 minutes, and by the time she got back you had shaken Arlo into unconsciousness, causing him irreversible brain damage from which he never recovered. The ambulance crew and the hospital staff did everything they possibly could. But the brain injury you had inflicted on Arlo by shaking him was beyond repair.

“You later suggested that he might have been hurt accidentally by one of his siblings before you were left alone with him. That was not true. I am certain that you made this up to try and deflect blame. You also suggested his grandfather’s CPR was too rough. That was not true either.

"With professional expertise as well as a grandfather’s care, he did exactly what he had been trained to when trying to resuscitate a very small baby. The medical evidence proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that between Arlo refusing a feed and the catastrophic brain damage which caused him to fit and die, you picked him up and shook him with such force that his brain function was damaged.

“You have not told us what caused you to do this because you have never admitted to doing it at all. Whatever triggered you, it was nothing that could possibly justify you laying hold of him at all, let alone with lethal force.

"You wanted to watch the football highlights and didn’t like having to look after and watch Arlo as well. That is why you shook him, but you did it with such force that you killed him.

“Arlo’s death has shattered a family. Because you lied about not touching Arlo, a chain of events was started which made the death of this little child at your hands the beginning of other tragedies for his bereaved family.

“His parents were arrested, as well as you, although they were quickly released. Social Services got involved and Arlo’s brothers and sister were taken from their parents. It was over 20 months before they got them back.

“All this time you maintained your lie that you had not done anything which could possibly have caused him any harm.”

Arlo's family said in a statement after the case “Our special baby boy, our warrior. Arlo is our miracle baby who we love very, very much. We will never ever forget you sweetheart. Sleep tight our angel. Keep shining down on us all.”

Detective Inspector Michelle Allen, of West Midlands Police, said: “Little Arlo was a healthy and happy baby who was dearly loved by his parents and family who have been left utterly heartbroken from this tragedy.

“This has been a tremendously sad case for us to investigate and has had a profound effect on the family. No parent ever expects to lose a child, particularly not at the hands of another person especially when they are a trusted family member.

"I hope that the verdict provides them with some comfort and allows them to start coming to terms with their loss, our thoughts remain with them.”