Dad accused of “shaking” baby was “horrified” at claims

A FATHER accused of shaking his son and causing brain damage had been drinking before the alleged assault, a court heard.

The 24-year-old dad was playing Call of Duty Black Box Ops I computer game while his girlfriend (27), went out to buy the latest version Black Box Ops II.

She told a Sheffield Crown Court jury: “My partner was playing on his game, he couldn't be bothered to go.”

She said he had drunk about five or six cans of lager and would normally get “very loud” and “stupid” when he had that much to drink.

But on the night of November 12, 2012, when she went out to queue for a special release of the game at midnight she thought he was not drunk and their four-month-old son would be safe.

The prosecution allege the father, who is from the Dearne Valley but cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted the baby by shaking him while the mother was out and the boy was later found to have a severe brain injury.

Jurors were told that when the mother came home after midnight she checked on her son and he was asleep.

The couple played the new game for a couple of hours and it was only later the next day that the mother noticed her son was going “purply-blue” in the mouth.

Her partner was interviewed by police the day after the incident and social services took away the boy and his elder brother.

When again interviewed in March, 2013 by officers the 24-year-old said: “They told me my child had been shaken.

“I was horrified, I felt I was being accused.”

He admitted ringing 999 in the early hours of March 28, 2013, and said he had shaken the baby and was responsible for the injuries.

But he told the court he had “made up a story”.

He said: “I convinced myself of doing such a thing.

“I thought everything was going to be all right and thought my partner would get the kids back and I could see them.”

The father denies inflicting grievous bodily harm on the child and the mother denies cruelty by not seeking medical attention.

The baby, now two-and-a-half years old, survived the attack but is brain damaged.

Jurors are expected to retire to deliberate their verdicts on this afternoon.