Shaken baby left blind with permanent brain injuries

A man has confessed to shaking a three-month-old baby so hard in frustration that she was left blind with permanent brain injuries.

Andrew Morrison pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to the assault, which took place on 19 April last year.

The child's mother had noticed her daughter was groaning and her eyes were rolling backwards, and contacted NHS 24, who phoned for an ambulance.

Morrison, from Kilmarnock, later confessed to police.

Following the incident the baby suffered from fits and is at risk of developing epilepsy. She had surgery to insert a feeding tube after episodes of choking during feeds and was diagnosed with evolving cerebral palsy as well as needing help to be mobile.

The baby, now 15 months old, suffered brain injuries that are "permanent and irreversible", and has since been registered as blind. She will need lifetime support.

The court heard that Morrison was in the company of his own mother for some of the day he was watching the child, then went home alone with her.

When the child's mother later went to his home she saw the baby was clearly unwell.

'Challenge'

Advocate depute Alison di Rollo told the court the accused and the child's mother were put in separate rooms at Yorkhill children's hospital after the mother challenged him.

The baby - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - was "twitching and groaning, consistent with fitting".

Ms di Rollo added: "Once in the other room the accused became increasingly upset and agitated and in the presence of two police officers he stood up and stated 'I shook her and I dropped her, I was frustrated', making a shaking motion with his hands as he did so."

Morrison pled guilty to assaulting the baby by repeatedly shaking her to her severe injury, permanent impairment and the danger of life.

Judge Lady Scott QC deferred sentence until next month and continued Morrison's bail.