Pair guilty of fracturing baby's skull

Craig Neill and Amy Cave were on trial at Teesside Crown Court

A man and woman have been found guilty of fracturing a one-year-old's skull.

The child was injured at an address in Waltham Close, Branksome, Darlington, on 26 May and taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary for treatment, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Craig Neill, 26 and Amy Cave, 20, had both denied causing and allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm but were convicted by jurors.

The pair, who gave differing accounts of how the injuries occurred, will be sentenced at a later date.

Det Sgt Melissa Lamb, from Durham Police, said the child was "thankfully making a good recovery" from the injuries, which included a fractured jaw, both wrists being broken in three places, extensive bruising across the body and a swollen brain.

She said it had been a "harrowing" case and the actions of Cave and Neill were "unforgivable".

"Rather than take any responsibility for their actions that day, which left a child with catastrophic injuries, they instead tried to lie in a callous attempt to save their own skin," Ms Lamb said.