A man has been jailed for life for murdering his baby daughter on Christmas Day by "repeatedly hitting her head against a bathroom door".

Lee Parker, 33, of Britton Gardens, Kingswood, near Bristol had drunk two bottles of wine and third of a bottle of vodka,and taken cannabis and cocaine.

He will serve a minimum of 15 years and two months for attacking six-month old Aya in a fit of temper on Christmas Eve.

Parker had been due to stand trial for killing her at Bristol Crown Court, but changed his plea to guilty at the last moment.

The court heard Parker called the emergency services at 1am on Christmas Day - a short time after he had killed Aya, and, despite their best efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead a short time later.


A post-mortem examination revealed she died of severe head injuries.

Image: Lee Parker offered no explanation for his behaviour

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Phillips told Parker, who offered no explanation for his behaviour, he had carried out a "sustained and murderous attack".

"On Christmas Eve at about 9pm a tragic and dark change occurred in your behaviour, no doubt because you were drinking heavily and had used cocaine and cannabis," he said.

"That initial bout of violence broke Aya's jaw…at about 1am, you carried out further attacks of extreme violence smashing her head against the bathroom door and wall.

"Aya suffered catastrophic head injuries, including skull fractures in several places. Such severe injuries are rarely seen in a child as young as Aya. She could not have survived for long."

Aya's mother Zofia Kucharczyk had left Parker - who she saw as a caring and loving father - looking after their daughter while she went out for the night, planning to return on Christmas morning.

The court heard Aya may have been unsettled because she was teething and Parker attacked her after drinking two bottles of wine and a third of a bottle of vodka.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Haskins said: "Aya was just six months old and was about to enjoy her first Christmas yet because of the actions of her father it was sadly her last.

"For reasons we will never know, he robbed her of the life which lay ahead of her and caused unimaginable pain to those who loved her.

"Parker's conviction hopefully brings some closure for all of Aya's family but our thoughts remain very much with them as they try to comprehend how and why this happened."