Father jailed over baby's murder

Craig Goddard admitted he had an issue with anger management

A father who dropped his baby boy down the stairs causing a fatal head injury has been jailed for life.

Alfie Goddard was three months old when he died at Sheffield Children's Hospital in May 2008 of head injuries.

Craig Goddard, 24, admitted murdering Alfie in a "moment of anger" when the boy would not settle. He will serve at least 11 years in jail.

Alfie's mother Lindsay Harris, 19, was given a suspended jail term for perverting the course of justice.

Truly tragic

Harris was sentenced to 12 months detention, suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours community service for lying about how she found Alfie to protect Goddard.

Speaking at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Mr Justice Beatson described Alfie's death as "truly tragic".

I just got frustrated, I didn't mean to hurt him Craig Goddard

He said: "A young life has been lost and the two of you are marked by the consequences of what has occurred for the rest of your lives."

The judge told Goddard: "Alfie wouldn't settle and you became upset.

Dr Paul Gray, director of Doncaster children's service

"You shook him, rocking him from side to side, and grabbed and squeezed him too hard - hard enough to fracture three ribs.

"Then, in a moment of anger, you dropped him from a height of five feet."

Mr Justice Beatson said social services could not be blamed.

He said: "You accept, as does Miss Harris, that what happened was the responsibility of those who were present in that house."

Lindsay Harris tried to protect Goddard by lying about how she found her son

Details of the child's death were outlined in court by prosecuting barrister Simon Jackson QC.

Mr Jackson said Goddard gave differing accounts to police officers about how his son had died.

In one interview he said: "Alfie must have fallen down the stairs when I had blacked out at the top of the stairs and Alfie must have gone down the stairs."

In a further interview, Goddard said he did not mean to do anything and the youngster would not settle. "I just got frustrated, I didn't mean to hurt him.

"I've just got this anger thing, I didn't mean to hurt him. I just lost my temper."

Mr Jackson told the court that in later interviews Goddard accepted being responsible for Alfie's death.

'Lessons learned'

The local authority where Alfie lived has come under fire in recent days after it emerged that seven youngsters have died in the area since late 2004 in cases involving abuse or neglect.

Speaking after the sentencing, Dr Paul Gray, the interim Children's Services Director at the council, said there were lessons to be learned from the case.

"I'm absolutely certain there are lessons, it's one of the reasons that I'm looking forward, in the best sense, to the publication of the serious case review report.

"That has had to be on hold because of the legal proceedings. I'm hopeful, and of course, this is independent of the council, that this can be completed within the next three to four weeks.

"At that point there will be issues and questions to be asked and answered by the council and its partners."

Serious case reviews have been commissioned to find out what mistakes were made in each incident.

The death of Alfie, who came from the Toll Bar area of Doncaster, is one of the cases being looked into.