A BRIDGWATER man has been jailed after shaking a six-month-old baby so viciously he was left with life-changing injuries.

Pople, 30, of Woolavington, was jailed this afternoon at Taunton Crown Court for four and a half years for the attack.

The court heard that on the night of November 17, 2015, Pople had been out drinking following the funeral of his close cousin.

Judge David Evans, sentencing, said following the night out Pople went to a Bridgwater address where he had a row with a woman who fled the house.

Minutes later Pople came downstairs holding the limp baby and tried to flag down a car to take it to hospital, the court heard.

Prosecuting, William Hunter said the baby was taken to Bridgwater MIU and then to Musgrove Park Hospital, and received urgent treatment and doctors managed to save his life.

However, he suffered an extremely severe brain injury and a fractured skull, he has a severe visual impairment and active epilepsy, and is now fed via a gastrostomy tube.

As a result of the assault in Bridgwater in November 2015 the boy is now severely disabled and will require lifelong care.

Defending, Patrick Mason described Pople as an industrious young man who had been badly affected by the deaths of his father, brother and a close cousin in a two year period.

But sentencing Judge Evans said: "You are an arrogant and self-centred man unable to acknowledge his own flaws.

"You had been drinking lager and cider all afternoon and into the evening following the funeral of your close cousin.

"Following a row you vented your frustration and rage on objects, furniture and most awfully on a six-month-old baby.

"You must have completely lost control. You shook him with appalling force and fractured his skull with the impact on a hard surface."

Judge Evans said the baby may have been saved by the coincidental arrival of Pople's sister who took the baby to Bridgwater MIU who promptly called for an ambulance for the baby to be taken to Musgrove Park Hospital.

Judge Evans continued: "At Musgrove you spoke to your mother on the phone in a conversation that was overheard by a doctor where it was clear you tipped your mother off about what to clear up, including your blood at the scene.

"It does your family no credit whatsoever that they were willing to engage in a clean up operation to protect you.

"You held back the truth in a police interview and quite deliberately tried to blame the boy’s mother.

"Your version of events was ludicrous but you stuck with it.

"You have shown genuine anguish in court but not once have you had the courage to admit your sole responsibility. The harm you caused has been truly appalling."

Judge Evans read the latest doctor's report on the child's injuries, which said he suffered an extremely severe brain injury, which has resulted in severe disability, severe visual impairment and active epilepsy and has to be fed via gastrostomy tube. 

"He is physically dependent on others for all of his care and that level of dependency on others will be lifelong, however long that life may be. You have destroyed the baby’s life," Judge Evans said.

"Short of death it is hard to imagine what more harm you could do to a six month old baby."

Detective Inspector Lorna Dallimore, of the Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “This was a tragic incident in which a young boy has been left badly brain damaged and has been robbed of the active life which he would have otherwise lived.

“His mother has also had her life drastically changed as she will now have to provide constant care for her son. She has been extremely brave throughout this ordeal and her courage must be praised.

“I hope the prison term Pople will now have to serve will in some small way be of comfort to the boy’s mother and his extended family. They can hopefully start to rebuild their shattered lives now in the knowledge the man responsible is behind bars."

She added: “This was a distressing case for all concerned and one which shocked the entire Bridgwater community.

“I would like to thank my team for their professionalism, hard work and dedication in bringing this case before the court.”

The boy's parents have spoken out telling of their pain following the assault.

In her statement the boy's mother said: "My son’s life has been changed forever. My life has been changed forever. I cannot put into words the devastation this has caused us.

"I wish I could turn back time but I can’t. I wish I could go back to a time when he was a ‘normal, healthy, happy little baby, but I can’t. I will never get my little boy back.

"He will never be able to tell me how he is feeling and that he loves me. He will never be able to ask what happened to him. However, as long as he’s in my care I will care for him and make sure he is never hurt again."

She added: "I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that his life span will be short and so I want to make the most of the limited time that we have. No one can describe the pain of knowing that your child will die before you."

The boy's father said in a separate statement: "Due to the horrific injuries inflicted on my son he will never be able to do the same things that other children take for granted such as walking and talking and I will never be able to enjoy the normal things that a father would want to do with his son."