Christopher Yates, 30, of Morris Road, Swalwell, Gateshead, has been jailed for four years after violently shaking his seven-month-old son, leaving the child permanently blind and brain-damaged. The attack occurred less than a month after Yates gained custody of the baby.
Attack fuelled by alcohol and cocaine
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Yates had consumed 11 cans of Foster's lager and snorted a line of cocaine before losing his temper when the baby cried during a night-time feed. He shook the infant five times while shouting "shut the f*** up", then placed the child back in the crib and retreated to the bathroom for an hour with a towel wrapped around his head to block out the crying.
Rather than seeking urgent medical help, Yates ignored the gravely injured child for hours. He initially lied about what happened, claiming the baby had fallen out of a rocking chair, before admitting to the shaking.
Catastrophic injuries
Doctors compared the force of the shaking to injuries seen in high-speed road collisions. The baby suffered a bleed on the brain, seizures, widespread haemorrhaging to both eyes, bruises to the chin, a faint purple mark on the bridge of the nose, prominent blood vessels in both eyes, and abrasions on the abdominal wall. For a time it was not clear if he would survive.
In a victim impact statement, the child's foster mother said: "He has lost his sight now and he will be on medication for the rest of his life. Christopher Yates has robbed this little boy of the life he should have had."
Background and custody
The baby was born in March 2025 and taken into care, placed with foster carers. Upon discovering he was the father, Yates successfully gained custody, saying he had the "best of intentions but underestimated how difficult he would find it". Family members had warned him about his drinking and urged him to seek help from social services. On one occasion, a relative found the baby undressed, dirty nappies around, and empty alcohol cans scattered across the property. Yates was heard shouting angrily at the baby and referred to him as a "little s***".
Sentencing
Judge Julie Clemitson said: "No sentence can undo any of the harm and distress to (the baby) and those who care about him. Their lives, and indeed yours, are changed irrevocably and forever." She added that the baby "will never live the life he should have lived, he is consigned to a life of narrow horizons and a life of being reliant on carers."
Yates pleaded guilty to causing a child to suffer serious physical harm. His defence barrister, Rachel Hedworth, said: "He is unable to put into words how utterly sickened he is by his own behaviour. He was simply not equipped with the life skills to cope with the responsibilities of looking after a tiny baby."
