A Radlett man who shook a baby on four different occasions was told by a judge today (Tuesday, June 23) that he was lucky to be leaving the court by the front door.
Anthony Yeowell, 32, of Craigmount, Radlett, attacked the boy, who was aged between five and seven months, because he would not stop crying, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Alan Blake said Yeowell first looked after the child in November 2018. He said when the boy started whinging, he shook him once.
The next day the boy was sick and his mother, who lives in Dunstable, took him to hospital where he was diagnosed with bronchitis.
On two other occasions in December he again shook him to stop the crying. Then, on New Year’s Day last year, Yeowell called an ambulance after the child suffered a seizure and went ‘floppy’.
The boy was transferred from the Luton and Dunstable hospital to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, where Yeowell said: “It’s my fault.”
The baby was found to have suffered bleeding on the brain.
When questioned by the police, he said: “He would not stop crying. I didn’t do it to hurt him.” He said he had been smoking £20 worth of cannabis a day.
Yeowell of Craigmount, Radlett appeared for sentence after pleading guilty to four charges of causing grievous bodily harm.
Defending, Abbe Arnold said Yeowell was quite immature and had suffered mental health difficulties.
She said the defendant, who has worked for 11 years in the pharmaceutical trade, was on medical news for depression and anxiety. “The guilt has been eating him up inside,” she said.
Judge Richard Foster passed a two-year suspended jail sentence with 2 years’ supervisions and 60 rehabilitation activity days. The judge said that thankfully it seems the boy had recovered.
He told Yeowell: “You let yourself down. You are lucky to be leaving by the front door.”
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