In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 32-year-old company director John Ellis was jailed for two years after hurling a 10-week-old baby across a room in a Moses basket. Ellis—a door-to-door salesman from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire—had consumed two bottles of wine before falling asleep in a position that blocked a woman from entering the bed. It was reported that when the woman attempted to move him, Ellis woke up and launched a violent assault, punching her in the eye and subsequently throwing the sleeping infant.
The investigation established that the victim, fearing for her safety, had set her mobile phone to record the encounter. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard the “shocking” audio recording, which captured the woman’s hysterical screams as Ellis repeatedly punched her before picking up the Moses basket and throwing it across the bedroom. The prosecution reported that the basket landed on the bed but tipped over, causing the 10-week-old boy to fall to the floor, where he sustained bruising to his head.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Ellis continued to attack the woman even as she tried to reach the fallen child, causing her to fall on top of the baby. Depute fiscal Paula Russell stated that when police arrived at the East Kilbride home in March 2018, Ellis dismissed the violence as “just a bad argument.” The investigation established that the child required immediate medical attention for head injuries resulting from the force of the throw and the subsequent struggle.
Sheriff Daniel Kelly QC presided over the sentencing, describing the assault on a 10-week-old infant as “unthinkable.” For his actions in East Kilbride, Ellis was handed a two-year custodial sentence, with the Sheriff noting that the term would have been significantly longer had he not entered a guilty plea. The judge noted that the level of intoxication and the deliberate targeting of a defenceless child necessitated a prison sentence to provide the public and the victims with appropriate protection.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Scotland, the status of John Ellis as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SENTENCED 2018 (Custodial term completed; released on licence/supervision).
- Supervision Status: Subject to standard post-release monitoring requirements.
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Assault; 2 counts including an infant victim).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court; investigated by Police Scotland.
- Criminal Record: Violent assault on a woman; Assault of a 10-week-old baby; Intoxicated violence.
- Origin: East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Ellis was managed as a high-risk violent offender within the Lanarkshire area following his release. Due to the nature of his conduct, which involved the potentially lethal throwing of a newborn baby and the repeated punching of a woman, his management was a priority for the local Social Work and Police Scotland Public Protection units. Authorities state that his history of becoming “intoxicated” and “brutal” after consuming alcohol indicates a specific risk factor that requires ongoing assessment.
As a convicted violent offender, then 32-year-old Ellis’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his two-year sentence reflected the “very serious” nature of domestic and child abuse. Any further reports of domestic disturbances, any evidence of alcohol-fuelled aggression, or any unauthorized contact with the victims in East Kilbride or elsewhere will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the safety of vulnerable individuals from his demonstrated pattern of explosive violence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender threw a 10-week-old infant across a room but received only a two-year sentence, do you believe that “Assault of an Infant” should carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, regardless of a guilty plea?
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.