A dad dropped his three-year-old daughter 40ft from a bridge into a river in a drug-induced psychotic episode - and blamed 'aliens' for his actions.

Damien Smith took the drastic action after YouTube videos convinced him that the girl was a 'witch' and was 'casting spells'.

A jury found Smith not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of causing grievous bodily harm.

After the verdicts were returned, prosecutors said they may ask for a re-trial for attempted murder.

But a judge at Manchester Crown Court was today told that the Crown does not intend to seek a re-trial.

Mr Justice William Davis said Smith will be sentenced on May 24.

The trial previously heard that Smith was suffering from a drug induced psychotic episode at the time.

His partner Janet Andrew said she was worried about him, as there was a ‘change’ in his behaviour prior to the incident on September 29 last year.

She said that Smith had been watching videos about an end of the world prophecy.

“Damien took it very seriously and believed it was happening because it was all over YouTube,” Ms Andrew told the jury.

“He was very scared about it happening.”

Ms Andrew said that Smith then accused her of being a ‘witch’ and said she was ‘casting spells’.

She said she would try to seek help for Smith.

Later she visited Smith’s home but he was not there.

She heard from neighbours that a man was on a bridge, and later had it confirmed that it was Smith.

Police negotiators spent an hour and a half talking to Smith, before he dropped the child, jumped himself and blamed ‘aliens’ for his actions.

Smith was seen with a pram near the bridge by an onlooker at about 8.20pm.

Smith began making threats to the man and ‘told him to go or he would throw the pram over the bridge’.

The police were called and arrived about 15 minutes later.

One officer who tried to engage with Mr Smith was told to ‘f*** off’.

Smith said: “You need armed response. And what are you going to do, shoot me?

“Either way I am going over and taking her with me.”

Smith is said to have handled the child ‘roughly’ and she was said to be in ‘great distress’.

She said ‘don’t drop me’ and was crying.

About an hour and a half after the onlooker first saw Smith, ‘he dropped her or threw her’, prosecutors said, before jumping himself.

Later Smith, 40, of Gendre Street, Bolton said: “Would you believe aliens drove me to attempted murder.”

He also said: “Can you imagine how much gumption in my head that took. To do what I did twice.”