Jail for man in savage attack on two-week-old baby

Matthew Masterman caused life-threatening multiple injuries when he deliberately shook and gripped the two-week old infant after he "lost control".

The 23-year-old, of Dodge Holme Court, Mixenden, near Halifax, was sentenced to imprisonment for public protection with a minimum term of three years at Bradford Crown Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent.

The court heard he had previously been suspected of causing injuries to a five-month-old baby but criminal charges were never brought. A civil court hearing found he was one of a number of people who could have been responsible for that baby's injuries, including a broken knee and elbow.

Judge Peter Benson yesterday described the case involving the two-week-old baby as "disturbing in the extreme".

David Hall, prosecuting, said: "Clearly he had suffered life threatening, non-accidental injuries that required significant force."

In mitigation, Jayne Beckett told the court Masterman, who suffered "serious abuse" as a child and has anger management issues, was "tired, alone and emotional" when he shook the baby boy in February 2008.

The baby suffered fractures to his collarbone, ribs and leg and haemorrhages to his brain, eyes and lower spine but help was not summoned for around 12 hours after the infant began fitting.

The initial prognosis for the baby, who is now two years old, was described as "very grave" but the court heard he had since exceeded expectations.

Masterman, who wore navy tracksuit bottoms and a light blue zip-up hooded sports jacket, showed no emotion as judge Peter Benson told him: "At the very least there is disregard for the obvious distress of a child in your care. The circumstances of the present offence are disturbing in the extreme."

The judge added: "It was thought when (the baby) was admitted to hospital that there would be very severe handicap to him in the future due to brain damage and that would take both physical and psychological form and he would have a very difficult life, with very much reduced quality of life as a result of your actions. I accept that those injuries were inflicted when you lost control."

A second defendant, 21-year-old Kimberley Doherty, was last year sentenced to a two-year community order with a supervision requirement after she admitted child cruelty by neglect.