Father rained punches on friend's baby boy 'because he was bitter that his daughter had Down's Syndrome'

Attack: Stephen Carty

A father attacked a baby while it slept in its cot - then claimed he did it because the boy's parents taunted him about his own daughter's ill health, a court has heard.

Stephen Carty repeatedly punched the 20-month-old tot in its bedroom because he bitter about his child suffers Down's Syndrome, it was claimed.

The youngster's parents had become concerned about him and set up a video camera in his bedroom.

During a party at their house Carty, 39, was caught on camera landing heavy blows on the baby in its cot.

The tot was later found covered in vomit and with bruising to its back.

Jailing Carty for six months, Judge Esmond Faulks told him: 'Everyone watching that video would feel shock and be sickened by what happened.

'The child must have been extraordinarily shocked to be woken up by the extreme pain sufficient to make it vomit. What happened is caught on video, a short clip of which has been shown to this court.

'It shows you going into that child's room, leaning into the cot and then punching a sleeping child in the back five times.'



The child's parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had arranged a party at their Gateshead home in May this year.

During the evening Carty, of Wallsend, went upstairs saying he needed the toilet but instead attacked the little boy.

Mark Donkin, prosecuting at Newcastle Crown Court, said: 'As a result of concerns about the child the parents had set up a video camera in the child's room.

'During the course of the evening the child was put to bed in its cot. Around 10pm the defendant was seen to leave the party area and go to the toilet.

'He was followed by the child's father and he saw the defendant coming from the direction of the child's bedroom.

'The father went to the child's room and could see the child had vomited and was in a distressed state in the cot.

'When looking at the video later he saw the defendant come into the room and then strike the child five times while it was sleeping in its cot and then left the room quickly.'



After his arrest, Carty said his daughter had Down's Syndrome and other health problems and claimed members of the baby's family had been taunting him about this.

In a statement read to the court yesterday, the baby's father said: 'My feelings towards Stephen Carty are pure hatred for what he has done.

'He has carried out the most awful thing to my son and I can never forgive him."



Chris Morrison, defending, said: 'He is very sorry for what he has done, his remorse is palpable.

'During the course of the party several things were said to him, such as he would be changing his daughter's nappy when she was 10 or 11.

'He has been carrying a great deal of personal difficulty over the illness of his own daughter, who has had leukaemia and a heart and lung transplant as well as Down's Syndrome.'