Mark Lackenby has been jailed after he killed his baby daughter after losing his temper during an Arsenal-Barcelona game (Picture: South Yorkshire police/PA)

A father who killed his five-week-old daughter after losing his temper while watching football on TV has been jailed for ten years.

Mark Lackenby, 32, had bet Arsenal would defeat Barcelona in February 2011 during their Champions League clash.

But when the Spaniards took the lead he shook Ruby, causing fatal brain injuries, Sheffield crown court heard.

Lackenby also lied to paramedics when they arrived at his home – claiming the baby had just stopped breathing.


Ruby was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital but a day later her life support machine was turned off.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave told him: ‘It’s frankly despicable and defies belief that anyone could do such a thing to their own baby in such circumstances.



He added that the outbreak of violence by Lackenby, who has three other children from a previous relationship, ‘was the result of a nasty outbreak of temper on your part and that it was a growing pattern of abusive behaviour by you towards your daughter’.

The judge told him: ‘It’s a mystery to some extent as to what did or could have caused you to be so cruel to Ruby.

‘Was it one child too many?

‘Was it too many responsibilities?

‘Was it the break-up of one relationship and the beginning of another?

‘Whatever the reason, cruel you were to Ruby on several occasions.’

Lackenby, of Barnsley, wiped tears away a number of times during the sentencing but then thanked the judge as he was led away.

He was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.