Stephen Ward was found guilty of the 2014 manslaughter of his son Jordan by inflicting injuries at the family home in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

A controlling father who shook his baby son to death with the force of a high-speed motorbike crash has been jailed for eight years.

Stephen Ward, 24, lost his temper with his nine-month-old son Jordan Ward and shook him so violently he suffered 'catastrophic and irreversible' injuries.

The panicked father called 999 for an ambulance and can be heard telling an operator: 'I think his breathing has gone or something.

'He is breathing very hard and he has lost all movement. Please help me.'

Bristol Crown Court heard how the toddler was a 'difficult baby' and Ward had previously shouted aggressively and even slapped Jordan to stop him crying.

The mother of his child, former partner Paula Watts, 22, wept in court as he was unanimously convicted of manslaughter today.

Mr Justice Popplewell told Ward: 'You have refused to accept your guilt despite overwhelming medical evidence and persisted in your story that you tried to prevent him from choking.

'You will have to bear the heavy burden of guilt the rest of your life knowing that you killed Jordan.

'On the day in question you simply lost your temper with him.

'You shook him and caused impact to the back of his head with sufficient force to cause injury to his scalp.

'But only you knew exactly what happened that day. The shaking and head impact was responsible for his death.'

Bristol Crown Court was told medical tests showed Jordan's injuries could not have been inflicted by accident

Jordan was rushed to Bristol Children's Hospital from the family home in Cirencester, in Gloucestershire, but died in the early hours of June 12 2014 after falling into a two-day coma.

The baby had suffered a bleed on the brain which caused a 'severe and irreversible brain injury' and also had several fractures to his ribs.

Doctors said most of his injuries were sustained in the hours shortly before his death - but some could have been inflicted between five to 15 days before.

They said the damage to Jordan's ribs could have been sustained during CPR but the injuries that caused the fatal brain damage came from shaking.

Paediatrician Professor Peter Fleming said his injuries indicated a level of force comparable to 'that which occurs in a high-velocity motorcycle accident'.

Ward had previously shouted aggressively and even slapped Jordan to stop him crying

Mr Justice Popplewell described how Ward struggled to control his temper with the baby.

He said: 'Jordan was not a difficult baby. You had problems controlling your anger.

'You used to shout at Jordan and used an aggressive tone of voice.

'Seven weeks before he died there was an incident in which you slapped Jordan to stop him crying.

'You admitted to Paula you had hit the baby. Paula moved out and took Jordan. You said you were sorry and you didn't mean to hit him and you wouldn't do it again.

'She agreed to come back only if you changed.'

Ward initially told paramedics Jordan had choked on milk. He later told police it was food that went down the wrong way, before changing his story to suggest his girlfriend had caused bruising to his head before she went to work, the court was told.

He described how the baby 'jolted', becoming rigid, before turning 'floppy' in his arms.

The court heard he also 'swore on his life' to his former partner he did not harm Jordan.

In a victim statement Jordan's mother told the court: 'My world and life changed form the moment the police came in and took me to hospital.

'It's a parent's worst nightmare and I will never get over it.

'A part of me died when Jordan took his last breath. This has been a very difficult time and trying to put it into words doesn't do it justice.

'I never wanted to believe that Stephen Ward was responsible for Jordan's death.

'Coming to court everyday and hearing the medical evidence made me feel physically sick.'

Miss Watts spoke of her guilt at rekindling her relationship with Ward - against her mother's advice - when they briefly split up before Jordan's death.

She said: 'I blamed myself for going back to him. I felt guilty for not accepting my mother's advice.

'I was in shock for a while after Jordan died. I was diagnosed with depression, I lost weight, suffered anxiety and I couldn't sleep. I couldn't function.

'At times I did not want to carry on with life.'