A father who slammed a baby boy’s head against a w
A father who slammed a baby boy’s head against a wall so hard his brain was ‘almost liquefied’ was jailed for life today (FRI).
Paul McInnes, 26, was minding two-month-old Lewis Holl for his former partner when he lost his temper with the tiny tot.
He grabbed the baby by the arms and hurled him into a wall at his home in Kent, causing internal bleeding and massive brain damage.
Little Lewis’s skull split open, but McInnes told the boy’s mother, Amanda Sherwood, he had dropped him by accident.
Miss Sherwood was initially taken in by the story and she tried to cover for him by lying to doctors.
But he later admitted responsibility for the horrific injuries.
McInnes of Poplar Road, Strood, had admitted manslaughter, but the jury took five hours and 21 minutes to convict him of murder.
Sentencing him to life imprisonment, Judge Jonathan van der Werff said: ‘It seems you are a man with a short temper.
‘I feel short you would not have done this unless you lost your temper.
‘It was an appalling thing to do to a two-month-old baby.
‘
McInnes showed no emotion but the boy’s parents, Ms Sherwood and father Lee Holl wept with relief after he was led away.
Inner London Crown Court was told of the ‘odd’ family set-up at McInnes’s home in Poplar Road.
He lived there with Ms Sherwood and their two children aged two and one, as well as her new lover Lee Holl and baby Lewis.
Miss Sherwood had stayed close friends with McInnes, and thought it best for their children that they all live under one roof.
McInnes, who was often left minding the children while the other two adults went out, phoned Miss Sherwood to say Lewis was suffering from wind on June 6 last year.
Later that evening he called back in tears.
Prosecution counsel Wendy Joseph, QC, said: ‘He said he had dropped Lewis when he was trying to wind the baby.
‘But we say from that very early stage, and from that very first thing he said, he was lying.
‘
When Lewis’ father and mother arrived they knew their child was critically ill.
Doctors at the Medway Maritime Hospital, Kent, said the baby was ‘grey in colour’, had difficulty breathing, and was making a ‘feeble’ gurgling sound.
Staff found bruising to his wrists, stomach, and head.
As the child was being examined, he began to suffer fits, the jury was told.
Lewis was transferred to Guy’s Hospital in London, where doctors found multiple skull fractures, bleeding around the brain, and severe brain damage.
He died two days later, when it was decided to switch his life support machine off to end his suffering, the court heard.
The court heard that Miss Sherwood initially believed McInnes’s account and helped cover for him with the police.
Miss Joseph added: ‘At first she tried to protect McInnes and told hospital staff it was she, herself, who tried to wind the baby and dropped him.
‘She maintained that story for some time, until she later realised what had happened to Lewis was no accident at all.
‘
When McInnes was interviewed by police, he insisted the injuries were caused when he accidentally dropped the baby.
He even demonstrated to the police how the tragedy happened – but later accepted he was responsible for the baby’s death and admitted manslaughter.
A pathologist, Professor Rupert Risdon said a simple fall could not have not have caused the injuries he saw.
According to Prof Risdon Lewis’s brain was WS’grossly swollen’ and ‘almost liquefied.
‘
The professor told the court: ‘Falling out of a first floor window onto concrete would cause the sort of injury we are seeing here.
‘
He said the surface of Lewis’ brain and the retinas of the eyes were also bleeding – injuries normally seen in ‘shaking baby syndrome.
‘.
‘The child may be gripped by the arms, legs or trunk and swung against a wall, table, or something like that.
‘
McInnes chose not to give evidence during the trial.
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