Father shook baby to death

A "devoted" father who shook his baby son to death has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Simon Rose, 31, was cleared of murder but convicted of the manslaughter of his three-month-old son Thomas at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday.

Judge Mrs Justice Hallett said Rose was a devoted father who must have "snapped" on the morning of his son's death.

The baby went limp moments after Rose began feeding him bottled milk in the family home in Windermere Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

You will have to live with what you have done for the rest of your life

Mrs Justice Hallett

Rose had pleaded not guilty to murdering the child and the jury heard that no-one saw him shaking Thomas on 28 October 2000.

But two post mortems found bleeding on the surface of the baby's brain, in the retina of his eyes and a bruise to the back of the head, and X-rays revealed two broken ribs.

The court heard there was evidence of a previous episode of brain and retinal bleeding and another five-week-old rib injury.

Sentencing Rose, the judge said: "Whatever happened I accept must have been a momentary loss of control which seems totally out of character for you.

"I accept having shaken Thomas you must have done everything in your power to help him as quickly as possible.

"You will have to live with what you have done for the rest of your life."

Rose told the court he loved the child and did not intend to seriously harm him.

He said he was patting the baby's back to wind him when he went limp and his head dropped forward.

Despite attempts to revive him using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Thomas later died in hospital.