Daniel Gunter, 27, has been given a life sentence for the murder of his two-week-old son Brendon Staddon in a special care baby unit at a hospital in Yeovil, Somerset. The attack took place in the early hours of 5 March last year while nurses were working less than five metres away. Experts said the injuries were comparable to those seen in someone who had fallen from a high building, yet the assault was so swift and silent that staff did not realise what was happening.
Mr Justice Swift, sentencing at Bristol Crown Court, said Brendon had suffered “catastrophic and appalling” injuries at the hands of someone who should have been caring for him. The judge stated that Gunter had held his son by the legs and swung him forcefully, causing the baby’s head to strike a blunt object or surface multiple times. He added that the attack must have involved some planning to avoid alerting nurses nearby. Gunter will serve at least 18 years and 239 days before being considered for release on licence.
Brendon’s mother, Sophie Staddon, 21, who was also in the unit at the time, was found not guilty of causing or allowing the death of her son, who had been born prematurely. In a victim impact statement, Brendon’s grandfather, Simon Gunter, described the baby as “so tiny but so beautiful” and said the family had been overjoyed at his birth. He added: “We had excited plans for the future. Our worlds fell apart.”
The court heard that Gunter had learning disabilities, a low IQ, and a very disrupted childhood. His defence counsel, Andrew Langdon KC, said Gunter had been threatened repeatedly in prison and had been too fearful to leave his cell to meet probation officers before sentencing. After the attack, both parents left the unit for a cigarette while medical staff attempted to save Brendon.
A child safeguarding practice review is now examining whether more should have been done to protect Brendon, given that Gunter had a history of violence and was reportedly controlling of Staddon. Social services, who were aware of the couple’s issues and had considered removing the baby from their care, are also under scrutiny. Gunter has not explained his actions, but police believe a possible motive was his fear that Staddon might move to a mother-and-baby unit where he would not be accommodated, as well as his questioning over whether Brendon was really his son.
