A 33-year-old man has been spared jail after causing "life-changing" injuries to his daughter in a "baby-shaking" incident in 2017. He received a sentence of two years and 10 months, suspended for four years, at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that the defendant was the sole carer of his 22-day-old daughter when she sustained an acute traumatic head injury, which a medical team concluded was most likely caused by repetitive backward and forward movement of an unsupported infant's head.
Crown barrister Rosemary Walsh KC stated that the prosecution's case was that the injuries were "consistent with an episode of shaking of the child". The child, now eight, is non-verbal, has significant mobility issues, requires assistance with daily tasks, and continues to suffer seizures.
Defence barrister Kevin Magill said his client accepted the medical opinion that the injuries were sustained while the child was in his sole care, despite having no recall of a specific causative event. Judge Mark Reel said he was "satisfied that the defendant inflicted the injuries on the victim by vigorously shaking her", possibly during a "momentary period of anger or frustration".
Judge Reel took into account factors such as the delay in the case, the defendant's previous good character, and the impact a period in custody would have on his daughter when imposing the suspended sentence.