Dad gets just 12 months in jail for breaking arm, leg of 12-week-old son (London, England)

Just a tap on the wrist for dad CRAIG SHAW. The poor dear was just in a "filthy mood," you see.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2041126/Craig-Shaw-broke-baby-sons-arm-leg-fit-rage-babygrow.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Father broke 12-week-old son's arm and leg in fit of rage when he couldn't get him into a babygrow
Last updated at 9:00 PM on 23rd September 2011

A father broke his 12-week-old son's arm and leg in a fit of rage when he couldn't get him into a babygrow.

Craig Shaw, from Camden in north London, has only been jailed for 12 months despite leaving the infant with a displaced fracture in his upper arm and double fracture to his thigh bone.

Little Anthony King was injured as a result of a 'twisting or swinging movement', doctors said. They observed that the injuries did not seem to be accidental and that Shaw had used 'considerable force.'

The 24-year-old dad had been in a 'filthy mood' after failing to get a job the day before and had earlier argued with his partner Cheryl King, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Ms King asked Shaw to dress Anthony while she went to help their older child to get ready to go out.

Prosecutor Richard Milne said Ms King then heard Anthony crying and went back to check on him.

'When she got back to the room where Anthony was, he was being put into a babygrow which was slightly too small,' he said.

'The defendant was still trying to dress him. It appears he had been struggling with him.

'Anthony was very upset and Ms King had to complete the dressing.

'It is the crown's case that this is most likely when both the right arm and left leg were fractured.'

Ms King then took the two children shopping and only noticed Anthony's arm had swollen up the next day.

'She asked the defendant what had happened and whether he might of dropped him or he had rolled off the bed,' said Mr Milne.

'The defendant said nothing had happened.'

The severity of the injuries were revealed when the little boy was x-rayed at University College Hospital about 24 hours after he was hurt.

Shaw pleaded guilty to one count of cruelty to a person under 16. His defence lawyer Anna Morris said he had 'suffered a momentary lapse of appreciation of the appropriate level of force to be used' and had thought he had only bruised his son.

She added: 'It was not an action done to punish the child or to teach him a lesson, it was a use of inappropriate force.'

But Judge Anthony Pitts rejected the submissions and said: 'I have no doubt that you lost your temper when you could not get him into the babygrow and in using such force with him you broke his bones.

'The offences are too serious in my judgement to suspend a sentence.'

The judge sentenced Shaw to 12 months in jail, adding: 'He let things get on top of him.'

Two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two of inflicting grievous bodily harm were ordered to lie on file.