Jail for teen who bashed baby son
A teenager who fatally bashed his three-week old baby at a Bunbury hospital last year in a violet and cowardly attack will spend at least five years behind bars.
The 16-year-old, who can not be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 10 years detention in Perth Children's Court today after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
The boy hit his baby's head against a hard surface at least twice during the few minutes he was alone with him at Bunbury Regional hospital last February.
Children's Court president Judge Denis Reynolds described the crime as "cowardly in the extreme".
He said the level of remorse shown by the young father was minimal.
"He (the baby) was at your mercy," Judge Reynolds said.
Judge Reynolds told the court he was surprised the boy's access to the child was not conditional or supervised.
The infant was due to be released from hospital two days before he was killed.
His father was alone in a room for him for between three and 10 minutes before he was assaulted.
When his girlfriend returned, her child was unresponsive and pale and had milk coming from his mouth and nose.
During sentencing submissions, prosecutor Matthew Walton said the teen was preoccupied with his own wellbeing and may have been jealous of the attention his girlfriend was giving their baby.
Police Forensic officers arrive at Princess Margaret Hospital in February last year. Picture: Ben Crabtree/The West Australian
Mr Walton said the premature birth of the baby led to a shift in focus from the father to the child.
"He was competing for the attention and affection," he said.
"That jealousy has stemmed from the attention being drawn away from himself."
Neuropathologist Vicki Fabian said the baby's head and brain injuries were the most severe she had seen in an infant.
Defence lawyer Jim Sutherland told the court the baby's father had been exposed to "damaging influences" when he was growing up.
He said the boy did not have the capacity or maturity to cope with the situation he found himself in.
Mr Sullivan described the crime as opportunistic and impulsive.
The teen was originally charged with murder but prosecutors later accepted his guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The baby suffered skull fractures and bleeding on the brain and died nine days after he was transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital.
Outside court, the boy's mother said her son was supposed to be supervised when he went to hospital to see his baby.
"My son is ashamed," she said.
"He is a confused juvenile. None of us expected this."
