Teenager jailed for killing baby

The judge accepted Stephen Wilkinson had been a caring father

A teenager has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for killing his five-month-old son in a fit of anger.

Stephen Wilkinson, of Beare Green, Dorking, Surrey, was 17 at the time of his son Rylan's death in October 2006.

The baby died from severe head injuries. Wilkinson, who is now 19, had admitted manslaughter at the Old Bailey after earlier denying murder.

The court heard Wilkinson was a devoted father who struggled to cope with the demands of raising a family.

He violently shook the baby and bit his face in what was described as a "momentary loss of control" when he was woken by Rylan hours after returning from a night at the pub.

'Good dad'

It was the first time Wilkinson and the child's mother Rebecca Costick, then 24, had been able to enjoy a night out since Rylan was born.

Wilkinson, a gardener, was also acting as a father to his partner's two daughters from a previous relationship.

He later told police: "I was a good dad. I loved my son very much."

John Coffey QC, defending, said Wilkinson may have "taken on more responsibilities than he could shoulder".

The court heard how the baby suffered bleeding and brain swelling, causing his heart and his breathing to stop.

Sadly, nothing I do can turn the clock back for anybody in this family Judge Stephen Kramer

Mr Coffey said: "He did his best, working hard for modest financial reward but not seeking to avoid his responsibilities.

"No punishment could compare with the intensity of the punishment that he has inflicted upon himself in acting the way he did."

Judge Stephen Kramer said: "Sadly, nothing I do can turn the clock back for anybody in this family."

He accepted that Wilkinson was a "caring and devoted father".

But he added: "You were in a position of considerable trust and what you did must have been more than momentary.

"It was a violent attack on a defenceless baby."

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp Jon Savell said Surrey Police had been sensitive to the feelings of the relatives and friends.

"We do, however, have a duty to establish the truth and ensure that, as in this case, justice is seen to be done.

"This was clearly a tragedy for the family and this trial will hopefully provide some conclusion for the family members, including both sets of grandparents."