A baby is "not likely to survive" catastrophic injuries, including multiple brain bleeds and a fractured skull, allegedly inflicted by their father, a court heard today. Prosecutors urgently appealed a District Judge's controversial decision to grant the accused 33-year-old man bail, arguing the child "remains in a grave condition."
Court Hears Details of 'Life-Altering' Injuries
At the High Court in Belfast, prosecutor Aoife Jennings told Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan the prognosis for the infant was dire. "They're not likely to survive," she stated, adding that if the child did survive, the injuries "will certainly be life-altering, if not life-limiting." The father, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, faces charges of child cruelty and causing or allowing serious physical harm to the baby in January 2026.
The court heard the alarm was raised just after 4am when an ambulance crew contacted police over concerns for a baby in cardiac arrest. Police found ambulance staff performing CPR on the child. After being successfully revived, the infant was rushed to the nearest hospital.
Father's Admission and Suspicion of Repeated Abuse
During the journey, the defendant told police he had fed the baby at midnight and, upon waking at 2am, noticed the child was not breathing properly. "He lifted the baby and their head was floppy," Ms Jennings told the court, detailing how the mother then said to call an ambulance. The mother reportedly said the baby had gone floppy earlier in the week but recovered quickly, and a GP had seen the child for colic and found nothing wrong.
Paediatric examinations in Intensive Care revealed the horrifying extent of the injuries: multiple brain bleeds and a skull fracture. Later that morning, the 33-year-old asked to speak to a detective and confessed, "I shook him; he has been a nightmare lately, I shook him." Upon arrest, he told police, "I have f***** up this time."
However, doctors indicated that shaking alone would not account for the skull fracture. The discovery of an older, healing brain bleed led to suspicions of repeated bouts of child abuse.
Bail Appeal and Stringent Conditions Imposed
Earlier at Craigavon Magistrates Court, Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter had granted bail with multiple stringent conditions. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) immediately appealed. Defence counsel Damien Halleron acknowledged the gravity, stating, "This is the worst thing that anybody could be accused of." He argued the strict conditions addressed risks of further offence or witness interference.
Prosecutors objected, citing concerns over witness interference, re-offending, and flight risk. They also revealed the child's mother has been charged with similar offences and released on police bail. Notably, the mother has "refused a number of other scans that would have assisted in the care of the baby." Police also suspect a prison visit she made to the defendant was to "get their stories straight."
Dame Siobhan Keegan, acknowledging the "undoubtedly very serious and also very tragic" circumstances, upheld the bail decision but maintained strict conditions. These include residing at an approved address, a £2,000 surety from his father, no contact with witnesses, and reporting to police several times weekly where officers can check his phone for contact with the child's mother.
The case is due to return to court in March.
