A young father, and Attempted Baby Killer, Dafydd Rutherford, violently shook his infant, resulting in severe brain injuries, subsequently deceiving medical professionals and law enforcement, and even attempting to implicate the dog, a court has been informed.
Dafydd Rutherford’s actions resulted in the infant suffering severe intracranial haemorrhages, leading to serious and permanent repercussions.
Swansea Crown Court was informed that Dafydd Rutherford subsequently confessed to shaking his infant in a fit of frustration, asserting that he did not intend to harm the kid but merely sought to “cease [the baby] crying”.
Megan Williams, representing the prosecution, informed the court that medical personnel at Morriston Hospital alerted authorities after the injured infant was admitted from their residence in Swansea.
The infant was initially observed to have a sequence of parallel bruises on the chest and appeared “pale” in complexion, subsequently experiencing a seizure.
Subsequent cranial scans revealed regions of haemorrhage, prompting notification of law enforcement and social services.
The court was informed that the newborn was urgently sent to the paediatric care unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where MRI scans revealed bilateral brain haemorrhaging, haemorrhage surrounding the spinal cord, and cerebral impairment due to hypoxia.
The prosecutor stated that both parents of the infant were apprehended.
The court was informed that following several police interviews, Dafydd Rutherford denied culpability for his child’s injuries, attributing the incident on the dog overturning the baby’s basket.
He stated that he had lifted the infant and, upon their slumber, placed the youngster down before proceeding to the kitchen.
Dafydd Rutherford subsequently acknowledged his frustration with the dog’s barking and the baby’s wailing, admitting to having shaken the infant “three or four times.”
The prosecutor stated that the defendant informed investigators, “he did not intend to harm [the child]; he merely sought to cease [their] crying.”
The court was informed that the victim had sustained developmental delays due to brain trauma.
The baby’s family, in an impact statement presented to the court, articulated their feelings of being “torn apart” while the defendant remained silent over his actions.
They asserted that by failing to promptly inform the doctors of the actual events, Dafydd Rutherford had “opted to prioritise his own interests over those of his child.”
Dafydd Rutherford, aged 22, had already entered a guilty plea for causing grievous bodily harm during his sentencing appearance in court.
Judge Catherine Richards informed Dafydd Rutherford that his infant sustained “devastating” injuries mere weeks after birth, in what is commonly referred to as “shaken baby syndrome”.
The defendant initially denied responsibility for the injuries but then confessed to becoming agitated by the dog’s barking and the baby’s wailing, which led to his loss of temper.
She stated that Dafydd Rutherford’s initial denial of the assault not only left doctors unaware of the situation but also cast suspicion on other family members, which was a considerable aggravating factor in the case.
Dafydd Rutherford received a 28-month prison term with a reduction for his guilty plea.
He will serve a maximum of half the sentence in detention before being released on license to complete the remaining in the community.
14 months for attempted murder of a baby, British Justice at its finest.
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