A Dundee man who attacked two vulnerable baby boys was jailed for six years and four months.
Andrew White inflicted a fractured ankle and bruising to his first victim and a leg fracture and brain injury to the second child.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard White, 32, had previously stated the crying of the first child was “a pain in the a**e”.
Unemployed White, formerly of Stirling Street, Dundee, earlier admitted assaulting the child to his severe injury when he was aged around three months in 2010 at a house in Livingston, West Lothian.
During the attack he seized hold of the child, compressed his body, pulled or twisted his leg and inflicted blunt force trauma to his head and body by unknown means.
White also pled guilty to assaulting the second child in 2018 at a house in Shotts, North Lanarkshire, to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.
He grabbed hold of baby, repeatedly shook him and inflicted blunt force trauma to the body.
White was originally charged with attempting to murder the second child but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to a reduced charge.
Injured babies
The first victim was referred to doctors after he was noted to have apparent injuries to his foot, knee, body and on a cheek.
A child protection consultant who examined the baby concluded significant force would have been required to bruise the baby’s abdomen.
Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC said: “The injuries could not have been caused by inadvertent rough handling.”
He said the ankle fracture was “caused by a mechanism which produced a significant force across that joint, such as by pulling or twisting”.
The second victim was taken to hospital, where medical staff found the child had a significantly swollen right upper thigh and a bruise across his chest.
He was transferred to a children’s hospital but as he was being assessed by doctors, suffered a prolonged seizure and was intubated overnight.
Mr Ewing said the seizure would have been life threatening if not treated.
The prosecutor said: “The brain injury is consistent with having been caused by abusive head trauma, such as shaking.”
The child assault victim was also found to have suffered a leg fracture, which would have resulted in severe distress and significant pain.
The court heard that child appeared to have made a good recovery from his injuries.
‘Immature’ offender
Judge Lord Docherty pointed out that at the time of the first assault White was 19 and “relatively immature” but was a mature adult when he committed the second offence.
The judge said it was fortunate, particularly in relation to the second assault, the consequences were not more serious.
He noted White had a difficult childhood, suffered from mental health issues and had a leg amputated when run down by a car.
The judge also said he accepted White was genuinely remorseful for what he had done to the children.
He ordered White to be under supervision for a further two-year period following his jail term, when he will be under licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its terms.
Defence solicitor advocate Calum Weir said White accepted he required to be punished.
He added: “He deeply regrets his conduct.”
For more local court content visit our dedicated page, or join us on Facebook.
