Father convicted of baby's murder

O'Neil was convicted of murdering his baby son

A father who battered and burnt his son to death is facing life in prison after being convicted of murder.

Paul O'Neil, from Newcastle, held his three-month-old son's face against a gas fire when he became jealous of the attention the boy got from his mother.

The 33-year-old later shook Aaron and fractured his skull with a head blow.

O'Neil had admitted cruelty at Newcastle Crown Court, but denied murder and five GBH charges, between November 2004 and February 2005.

The jury of eight men and four women heard how tiny Aaron was beaten and burned so badly that he died 92 days after he was born.

There was also evidence of a cigarette burn on Aaron's shoulder and a scalding injury.

Baby Aaron was battered and burnt by his father

O'Neil had used "unforgivable violence" against his son because he resented the attention the youngster was getting from his mother, Jodie Taylor, the court heard.

The jury deliberated for two-and-a-half days before returning a guilty verdict to murder and of inflicting the burns to the face and hands.

He was cleared of one charge of inflicting GBH with intent - that of fracturing his son's legs.

The jury was unable to reach verdicts on three charges of GBH - inflicting two skull fractures and a rib fracture. The judge ordered these counts to lie on file.

Domineering relationship

The baby's 21-year-old mother had earlier admitted cruelty by failing to provide adequate medical attention.

The court heard Taylor was "trapped" in a relationship with the domineering O'Neil and was afraid to report what he had done.

O'Neil had claimed Aaron had choked as he slept in a car seat in the sitting room of their flat in Kenton, while Taylor was visiting her mother.

Newcastle City Council said it was about to publish the recommendations of a review carried out in the wake of the case.

Newcastle Primary Care Trust said it had already implemented an action plan based on the recommendations of a separate report into Aaron's death.

O'Neil is due to be sentenced on Friday.