"Frustrated" dad finally confesses to killing 5-week-old son; lied about his crime for 15 months, causing Mom to temporarily lose custody of surviving child (United Kingdom)

What a worthless turd.

Dad MATTHEW WICKENS was all pissy because he was "tired" and had lost his "freedom" by becoming a father. So when left alone to do caretaking for his 5-week-old son, he shakes him and bashes him. Then the coward covers up his crime. Refuses to get the baby medical help. Puts a hat on the baby's head to cover up the head injuries. Leaves the poor mother to find the baby dead in his crib. Lies for 15 months about what he did, causing suspicion to fall on the mother. After all the heartbreak of losing her newborn, she loses temporary custody of her oldest son--all because Daddy is lying piece of sh**.

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Devon-father-jailed-shaking-crying-baby-death/story-21093161-detail/story.html

Devon father jailed for shaking crying baby to death

By Exeter Express and Echo | Posted: May 14, 2014

A father has been jailed after he killed his crying baby by throwing him into his cot so violently he suffered massive head injuries.

Supermarket worker Matthew Wickens lost his temper with his five-week-old son Riley Gardener when he was left in sole charge of the baby while his partner went out shopping.

He was frustrated by the responsibility of parenthood and felt becoming a father had robbed him of his freedom and ruined his dreams of joining the army.

He tried to cover up his fatal attack by putting a hat on the dying child to cover up the head injury and telling his partner Riley was asleep in his cot.

He did not raise the alarm or try to get help and the child’s horrified mother found the baby cold and lifeless when she went to check on him after getting home.

Wickens, aged 24, continued lying about what he had done for 15 months with the result that the wholly innocent mother Gemma Gardener came under suspicion and had her older son taken into care for a short time.

Asda worker Wickens, of Waltham Road, Newton Abbot, admitted manslaughter and was jailed for six years and five months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.

The judge told him:”You did not explain what you had done for months and months.

That is understandable because you are relatively young and done something which meant you wished you could turn the clock back and find it was all a bad dream.

“Instead you gave an explanation of dropping the child accidentally. I accept you did not intend to cause the child really serious harm and you have been unable until recently to face the reality of what you did.

“You will carry this very heavy burden for the rest of your life, to the effect that you have killed your own child. The fact you did not accept responsibility earlier counts very strongly against you.

“There are aggravating features which come from that. First, you concealed what you had done and did not call the emergency services.

“Second, this meant your partner Gemma discovered the baby. It was an ordeal which you could have saved her from.

“Third, she fell under suspicion and had to go through the ordeal of family court proceedings in respect of her older child.”

Mr Simon Laws, QC, prosecuting, said Wickens was left in sole charge of Riley on the afternoon of November 25, 2012, and caused serious and unsurvivable head injuries by shaking the child and throwing him in his cot.

When Gemma returned home he pretended the baby was safe and asleep and it was only when she became concerned about how long Riley had been silent that she found him lifeless and cold.

She fetched her father Christopher Gardener, who ran a shop opposite the flat in Winner Street, Paignton, who is a trained first aider and who rushed over and tried to resuscitate Riley without success.

Wickens told paramedics he thought the child may have choked on vomit but once at hospital doctors found bruising on the head which had been concealed by a hat he had put on the baby.

Post mortem examinations showed a combination of internal bleeding inside the head and eyes which is associated with non accidental shaking injuries.

Wickens finally gave an account of the killing in which he said:”Riley would not stop crying. I lost my self control and shook him and flung him face down into his cot.”

Mr Laws said Wickens later told a psychologist how he felt the birth of his son had robbed him of his freedom.

He said:”Wickens said he felt like his life was over and he was a father all the time while his mates were off doing different things and experiencing stuff. He felt his career had gone and Gemma would not let him join the army.”

The mother Gemma Gardener and her family sobbed in the public gallery as Mr Laws told how she had made a victim impact statement about the loss of Riley .

He said:”She spoke movingly about the fact she has to live with the moment she discovered him and more than anything how she feels the loss of her son.”

Mr Paul Dunkels, QC, defending, said Wickens was immature for his age but had done his best to be a good and supportive father who had got up five times a night to change or feed the child.

He said his loss of temper may have been caused in part by the lack of sleep and fatigue caused by combining the duties of parenthood with a full time job.