Two-year sentence for fugitive in GBH on baby boy

A FORMER Huddersfield man who went on the run after he caused serious injuries to a baby boy has finally been jailed for two years.

Paul Murray, 38, failed to turn up for a Crown Court hearing in May 2004 and was only arrested by police in East Lothian, Scotland, last month, a judge heard yesterday.

In June 2002 the baby, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was taken by ambulance to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary where it was discovered that he had suffered several fractured ribs and a torn frenulum, the skin between his upper lip and gum.

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Bradford Crown Court heard that the injuries were described as non-accidental and the mouth injury was typical of a baby being force-fed a bottle.

Murray was arrested by police and initially claimed the injuries could have been caused by another child, but he later accepted causing some of the rib injuries and the torn frenulum.

His barrister Abdul Iqbal told the court that at the time of the offences his client, who has a history of mental health problems, was probably suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

He said a psychiatric report was never completed in 2004 because his client went to Scotland and had lived there ever since.

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The court heard that a police officer put a note through Murray’s letterbox telling him there was a warrant for his arrest and he voluntarily attended a police station.

He was brought back to West Yorkshire and remanded in custody by a judge last month.

Murray pleaded guilty to two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and one charge of assault.

Jailing Murray, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said he caused the injuries to the baby through inexplicable violence.

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The judge told Murray: “Excuses are put forward that you were feeling a bit upset or a bit angry at the time.

“Further that you may well have been suffering from the symptoms associated with either paranoid schizophrenia or some other illness, caused or seriously exacerbated by your addiction to heroin and binge drinking.

“The fact of the matter is that you caused that little baby no doubt untold suffering and very serious injury.”

The judge said Murray’s basis of plea indicated that the injuries were caused by his reckless attempts to subdue the crying child by apparently placing a pillow on the infant’s chest and then putting his own body weight on the pillow.

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“It is right that when the police finally woke up to the fact that they had a wanted criminal living on their doorstep you responded to the note put through your letterbox asking you to go to the police station,” the judge added.

“I cannot place you on probation or supervision. The public would be outraged and quite rightly so.”