Walsall man David Hollick who killed six-month-old son jailed

At his trial, Birmingham Crown Court heard Hollick claim he had tripped and fallen over while carrying Kairo

A man who killed his baby son by causing him skull fractures and brain injuries has been jailed for 15 years.

David Hollick, 29, from Primley Avenue, Walsall, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

Hollick claimed he had tripped and fallen while carrying Kairo, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

But medical experts said the six-month-old, who died at Birmingham Children's Hospital in 2020, had suffered injuries consistent with an assault.

Jurors were told how Kairo suffered at least two skull fractures and a fracture to his right arm, while in the care of his father three days before he died.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Dove said he was sure the boy had met with non-accidental injuries in the early hours of 9 February four years ago, before dying in hospital three days later.

Kairo Hollick was shaken and battered before he died, prosecutors told Hollick's trial

The judge told Hollick: "The evidence of the medical experts was that these injuries were not the result of rough handling or an accident, but the consequence of severe blunt force impact."

He also said he was sure a single or multiple blows had been inflicted on Kairo, who was also injured by being shaken.

Head bashed twice

Mr Justice Dove said: "Kairo's family will never know what caused you to inflict these serious injuries and kill their son and grandson.

"It is hard to think of a more grotesque breach of trust between a parent and their child... that a parent could assault and kill their own child."

Prosecutor David Mason KC said Kairo "had not only been shaken violently, but his head had been bashed at least twice" with a hard object.

The trial heard Hollick's ex-partner, Adina Johnson, had dropped their son off at his home as usual on 7 February for the weekend, and while Kairo had a cold at the time, she had no other concerns about his health.

Hollick was staying in the conservatory at his parents' home because of a lack of bedroom space when he moved back in with them after his relationship with Ms Johnson ended.

Ms Johnson accused him of attempting to manipulate the jury with his "false narrative of an accident" to hide his "inhumane" actions.

'Dream baby'

In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said: "Our suffering has been prolonged for years by David Hollick, who continued to deny involvement."

Describing Kairo as a "dream baby that seemed too good to be true", Ms Johnson said: "He learned things so fast."

Family events were now overshadowed entirely the fact her family would never be whole, the court heard.

"It's been four years since when this nightmare began," Ms Johnson continued.

"I still can't comprehend the reality that Kairo has died."