A man with “ongoing anger management issues” who attacked two babies in Fife has been jailed for five years and 10 months.
Christopher Kirk, 31, violently shook the infant girl and boy during assaults on the tiny victims at houses in the Kingdom.
He was originally charged with attempted murder.
Judge Lord Richardson told him: “You have pled guilty to having carried out serious and violent assaults on two infant children.
“At the time when you assaulted each of these children they were less than a year old.
“They were completely defenceless.”
The judge said that thankfully the male child did not appear to be injured because of Kirk’s actions but the little girl did sustain bone breakages, including her skull being fractured in two places.
Lord Richardson said there could be no doubt the injuries to the baby girl were incredibly grave and as a result, her life was in danger.
The judge acknowledged Kirk was a first offender who was in employment and had his own mental health difficulties.
He said a background report indicated he was shown remorse and his guilty plea had spared doctors and others from having to give evidence.
However, he said: “Given the very serious nature of the assaults you have carried out I have reached the view there is no proper alternative to a lengthy period of imprisonment.”
The judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said he would have jailed Kirk for six and a half years if he was convicted after trial but the sentence would be reduced following his guilty pleas.
Admitted assaults
Kirk, formerly of St Clair Street, Kirkcaldy, earlier admitted assaulting the boy between August 2014 and August the following year by causing him to bounce up and down violently on a sofa and by seizing the baby from a woman and violently shaking her.
He was originally charged with assaulting the boy to the danger of his life but that allegation was deleted in a plea accepted by the Crown.
Kirk also admitted assaulting the baby girl between March 2018 and January 2019 by seizing her and squeezing her body, violently shaking her and inflicting injury to her head and body to her severe injury and to the danger of her life.
He was originally charged with attempting to murder the little girl but the Crown accepted his plea to the lesser charge.
Kirk further pled guilty to attempting to prevent the baby girl obtaining medical assistance after she sustained the head injury.
Emergency help for babies
Advocate depute Derick Nelson said one witness had described the former night porter as having “ongoing anger management issues”.
The court heard Kirk contacted the mother of the girl he was left looking after to say her daughter had an injury that looked like “a sore one”.
He claimed he put the baby down for a nap but later noticed swelling to her head.
The mother contacted NHS24 and was advised to take the child to Victoria Hospital.
A paediatric consultant was brought in and social services and police contacted.
The baby was found to have suffered a fractured skull and other injuries.
The court heard the force involved in the head injury could have potentially resulted in a fatal outcome for the little girl.
Defence counsel Michael Anderson said Kirk claimed that he has changed and matured since the offences were committed.
He said: “I recognise, as does he, that he has pled guilty to grave offences and he recognises a sentence of imprisonment will be imposed.”
