Marcus Carter, 43, has been sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today (February 14) following the incident in 2020

A man who fatally shook his newborn son was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today (February 14) and ordered to serve seven years and eight months behind bars.

The Honorable Mrs Justice Hill today sentenced Marcus Carter, 43, of Burns Road, Walsall, after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his 10-week-old son at a hearing in the same court last month.

During the hearing, it was revealed that emergency services were called to an address in Easton, Bristol, on 10 August 2020 due to concerns for the well-being of Carter’s son.

The baby, whose name we withhold at the request of his family, was later transferred to Bristol Children’s Hospital for treatment.

He died 11 days later, on August 21, 2020.

Carter initially denied being responsible for his son’s death, and the Avon and Somerset force revealed that he lied to police at the time of the incident and in subsequent police interviews.

It was only after learning of the expert medical evidence obtained by detectives that he acknowledged that his actions led to the death of his son.

In a personal statement from the victim, which was read out in court before today’s sentencing, the baby’s mother said: “These past few years have been nothing more than a living nightmare. It has been torture.

“My heart aches every day and the pain is unbearable.”

He also said: “His life has been stolen. He was just 10 weeks old when she died.

“They have robbed him of the opportunity to grow up, have a childhood, go to school and university, have a first girlfriend, become a father and experience life itself.

“I have been robbed of the opportunity to be his mother, take care of him and love him.”

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Doxsey, the lead investigating officer, said: “This is a truly tragic case and our hearts go out to the child’s mother and family.

“The force that Carter used, for whatever reason, was completely disproportionate and caused him catastrophic injuries.

“He refused to accept his role in what happened for over two years, until he was faced with overwhelming medical evidence and other evidence collected from witnesses and CCTV video.

“It is of little comfort to the child’s family that they do not have to go through a trial that would undoubtedly have caused them even more anguish.

“They wanted Carter to tell them about everything he did that day and why he shook the boy so hard.

“He hasn’t done it in detail yet, but we hope today is a key step for him to accept responsibility for his actions and the young life it took from him.”

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