A baby boy suffered a catastrophic brain injury which left him blind and unable to walk and talk after he was viciously assaulted by one of his parents when he was just eight weeks old. Three years later he is being fed through a tube and is unlikely to live past his 20s.
Parents Convicted After Trial
Adam Edwards, 34, and Brogan Jones, 29, were both convicted of causing/allowing a child to be subjected to serious physical harm and child neglect following a trial. Edwards was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm but Jones was found not guilty of that charge.
Their child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was just eight weeks old when he suffered a fractured skull caused by either Edwards or Jones at their home in Nantyglo, Blaenau Gwent, on June 16, 2023. Just weeks before, on May 30, the couple took their son to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran after his right arm went floppy. This was not picked up by an X-ray taken at the hospital but the baby was later found to have suffered a fractured right humerus at the hands of Edwards, who is believed to have twisted or bent the child's arm with considerable force.
Judge's Remarks
Addressing the defendants at a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You Brogan Jones knew some was seriously wrong with [the child] and you knew Adam Edwards had badly hurt him. Why else cancel the midwife visit that day, claiming falsely you had a stomach bug?" The court heard their child struggled to sleep and tempers in the household "became more frayed". The use of cocaine and alcohol played a part in the defendants' lives, which "made the situation worse".
In the early hours of June 16 Edwards was described as "frustrated and was screaming" at the child and rowing with Jones. The next morning Jones briefly left the house but returned at 9.10am. Shortly afterwards the baby was "beaten and shaken" and suffered at least two forcible blows to the head, which caused a fracture to his skull in two places.
Judge Williams said: "Neither of you has told anyone how [the child] came to sustain those injuries... You continued to blame each other for what happened to [the child]... As [the child] struggled to hold onto life the two of you argued, shouting at each other and exchanging insults.... Neither of you phoned 999 – you were too busy tearing strips into each other."
Neighbour's Account
A neighbour heard the commotion and came to the house. She described the child as "dazed and vacant" and "zombified", as if he didn't know what was going on around him and staring into space. The neighbour told Jones to call 999 but the defendant later said in her trial she called 111 by accident. Judge Williams said this was a "lie". He added: "The fact is neither of you, at his time of greatest need, were prepared to put [the child] before your own self-interest."
The emergency services were called and the baby was taken to hospital and was found to have suffered catastrophic injuries. The judge said: "Despite their best efforts ultimately his life was saved but the life he could have had could not be. The injuries were just too bad."
Life-Changing Injuries
As a result of his injuries the boy was said to be blind due to the brain injury and his voluntary body movements are severely impaired, which means he will not be able to sit or stand or walk. He faces the prospect of curvature of the spine, which will cause pain and require major surgery. His ability to communicate is severely limited, he has life-long muscle spasms which are painful, he suffers seizures, and is fed through a tube in his stomach.
Prosecutor David Elias KC said the injuries caused to the boy would lead to a shorter life expectancy with children with his condition unlikely to survive past their second or third decade. Both Edwards and Jones were arrested and lied in their police interviews. Jones gave evidence over four days at her trial but Edwards refused to give evidence.
Foster Mother's Statement
In her victim personal statement to the court the boy's foster mother said he was just 10 weeks old when he came into her family's care. She said: "He's been in full-time care and part of our family. We love him as one of our own. Caring for him is a lot of hard work and we have learnt a lot as his carers. Before we did not know about his condition, how he needed to be treated or the level of care needed. We were told he was blind and deaf as a result of his injury and has epilepsy."
The foster carer said they quickly found the boy responded to their voices and music. When he first came to their home the boy was bottle-fed but he developed chest infections due to aspiration. The boy now requires a feeding tube 22 hours a day. The witness said activities need to be planned in advance as the boy needs a certain amount of milk and water each day and a large amount of medication.
The court heard the boy is profoundly visually impaired due to the connection between his brain and eyes not working. His blindness was said to have a profound impact on his day-to-day life and development of his hearing, smell, and feeling. The foster carer said the boy is unable to "enjoy simple things such as tasting ice cream or chocolate" and when his feeding tube is adjusted it causes him "pain and distress".
He is not able to be left with anyone who does not know him or who has not been trained in caring for him. Due to severe cerebral palsy he is unable to move independently. The foster carer said: "He will never be able to walk or play football or other sports like other children his age." The witness said the boy's care will require larger equipment and will mean the family will have to move house.
She said: "He will never be able to dress himself, feed himself, or care for himself in any way. He will have to wear nappies for the rest of his life and suffers with daily seizures." The court heard the boy has a lot of hospital admissions due to chest infections and seizures.
The foster carer said: "We love him with all our hearts. His needs are 24/7. He was a massive part of our family. He is our family, our world, and we take him everywhere with us... He's never been able to see the sea. He knows our voices but will never know what his family looks like. Just because he has extra needs it doesn't mean he has to miss out – we just have to do things differently."
The thought of losing him at a young age is beyond words... It breaks our hearts to know he was born a healthy little boy and will have to live with this horrible injury he will have to live with for the rest of his life and will never recover from... [His] life is impacted in every way. His vision, his ability to talk and walk. He should be a cheeky little three-year-old boy running around but he will never be... He brings us so much joy. He lights up our lives, makes us laugh. He's a lovely little boy whose smile lights up the world."
Sentencing
In mitigation for Jones barrister Leah Pollard said her client was the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of Edwards and was subject to physical and verbal abuse. Ms Pollard said the defendant was in a situation where she was in a relationship with a "clearly aggressive man" and did not cause the injuries to the boy. Alex Greenwood, for Edwards, said his client served in the military for five years and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He said the defendant understands the "terrible consequences" of his son's injuries and reflects upon those daily. Mr Greenwood referred to the "toxic relationship" between Edwards and Jones and spoke about his client spiralling into drug and alcohol abuse.
In his sentencing remarks Judge Williams said he accepted Jones had been assaulted by Edwards throughout their relationship, which included throwing her down stairs, pushing her, kicking her, and stamping on her chest. The judge said it was not for the court to determine which of the two parents caused the injuries to the child as the prosecution cannot prove this. As Judge Williams delivered sentence Jones wept and shook uncontrollably while Edwards wiped his eyes.
Edwards, of Beech Tree Crescent, Blaina, was sentenced to a total of nine years imprisonment. Jones, of Roundhouse Close, Nantyglo, was sentenced to three years imprisonment suspended for three years. The defendant was ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work, 12 sessions of a mental health treatment requirement, a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and a one-to-one probation requirement.
Following the hearing senior investigating officer, detective chief inspector Steven Maloney, of Gwent Police, said: "This has been a complex and lengthy case in which a very young baby has suffered life-changing injuries at the hands of those supposed to provide him with protection and care. Cases involving harm to children are among the most difficult police deal with. Throughout the investigation, alongside our partners, our priority has been to seek answers for, and safeguard, the child at the heart of it. We welcome today's sentence and hope it demonstrates our commitment to taking action again those who harm our most vulnerable in society."
