Babysitting dad gets life sentence for baby-shaking death (Sanford, Florida)

Dad VENTREL GAMMONS has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of 1st-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. His 2-month-old daughter died from severe brain damage brought on by violent shaking. Dad was home alone with the baby at the time of the incident.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-shaken-baby-dad-sentenced-20091109,0,1240553.story

Father gets life sentence after baby-shaking death
By Rene Stutzman, Sentinel Staff Writer

2:43 p.m. EST, November 9, 2009

SANFORD – A judge today sentenced a young Winter Springs father to life in prison for shaking his 2 ½-month-old daughter to death.

A jury last month convicted Ventrel Gammons, 23, of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

Doctors said the baby, Samiyah Gammons, had been shaken so violently, her brain had banged against the inside of her skull, causing bleeding and severe brain damage.

The child was fatally injured May 17, 2007, at her home in Winter Springs. She was taken off life support and died two days later.

The defendant was home alone with the child that evening. He told authorities he didn't know why his daughter stopped breathing.

Circuit Judge Donna McIntosh today pronounced sentence. She imposed the mandatory life prison sentence for the murder conviction. She also sentenced him to 30 years, to run concurrently with his life term, for aggravated child abuse.

Gammons said nothing at the hearing. His attorney, James Sweeting, called the child's death a tragedy.

"It's a tragedy all around, the loss of a child, now the loss of Mr. Gammons … He is, in fact, sorry, however, he maintains his innocence at this time.

During Gammons' trial last month, Sweeting told jurors there was no evidence Gammons had abused his child. There were no eye witnesses.