Jail for fracturing baby's skull

A man from south Wales, who left his six-week-old baby with a 10cm-long crack in his skull, has been sentenced to four years in jail.

At an earlier hearing David Woods, 24, from Llanelly Hill, Abergavenny, admitted a charge of child cruelty.

On Monday, Cardiff Crown Court, was told Woods had claimed the baby had been injured by a mobile phone which fell off a chair.

But Judge Roderick Denyer QC dismissed the explanation as "nonsense".

Doctors found that the baby, who is called Lewis, had suffered a deliberate blow to the head made with "considerable force".

The court heard how Woods had taken Lewis to the doctor after the incident last October.

The doctor's conclusion was it could only have been caused in a non-accidental way Huw Evans, prosecuting

However, the baby was allowed to return home and the injury was noticed three days later by a health visitor.

An X-ray carried out at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, revealed a fracture across the top of Lewis' skull.

Huw Evans, prosecuting, said the injury was caused by a "moving object conveyed with some considerable force, or a fall from at least 3ft on a hard surface.

"The doctor's conclusion was it could only have been caused in a non-accidental way."

Judge Denyer said there was no evidence of prolonged abuse to the child, and Woods had done the right thing in visiting his GP.

"This is not a situation where you tried to cover up or pretend that nothing had happened. You did do the appropriate thing.

"Unlike some other cases there is no evidence of prolonged ill treatment of the child.

'Remorse'

Leighton Hughes, defending, said: "Woods immediately showed remorse and his first reaction was to take the child to the doctor.

"He was beside himself. Woods and his partner both suffered from an immense lack of parenting and social skills.

"In Woods' case this incident was caused by a sudden lack of control.

"This case occurs against a background of a young man shouldering a burden which quite simply was beyond him."

Woods was also banned from working with children for 10 years.