Father’s sentence increased to six years over baby’s brain injuries
Christopher Yates’s prison sentence has been increased from four to six years after he shook his six-month-old son, leaving him with severe brain injuries, blindness and likely difficulty learning to walk. The Court of Appeal ruled the original term was unduly lenient, citing the catastrophic harm caused to a very young child.
Yates had drunk 11 pints of lager and taken cocaine before shaking the baby five times at about 2am. He waited until 8.15am to call an ambulance and claimed the child had fallen from a chair. The court heard that relatives had raised concerns about his heavy drinking and care of the baby; his lawyer argued that professionals had provided little support despite those warning signs.
In short
- Yates’s sentence was raised from four years to six.
- His baby suffered severe, permanent injuries.
- The court heard relatives had raised concerns about his care.
Explained simply
The case concerns the criminal courts’ response to serious harm caused to a child by a parent. In England and Wales, the Court of Appeal can review a sentence if it considers that the original term was too low under the law.
The baby’s injuries are severe and may affect his sight, movement and learning. The case also raised questions about concerns relatives had shared over the father’s drinking and care of the child, and what support professionals provided.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Father who permanently disabled his baby by shaking him with car-crash force after downing 11 pints of lager and taking cocaine has jail term increased to six years”.