Bristol man jailed for fracturing baby girl's skull
Kirk Ballard slammed the vulnerable tot's head against a hard flat surface.
The blow left the baby girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, with a large fracture to her skull behind her right ear.
Doctors found she had suffered an injury to her brain and said the long-term prognosis was unclear.
Ballard, aged 24, of Elm Hayes, Highridge, Bristol, initially denied injuring the infant but later pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm.
He was jailed for two years and four months at Bristol Crown Court and banned from being near a child.
The girl's mother has since moved away from her home in Southmead where the attack happened.
Children's charity Kidscape blasted the lenient sentence.
Director Claude Knights said: "It is a very harrowing and distressing event – a four week-old baby has been brutalised. The sentence seems very lenient, and this man may not even have to serve all of that time.
"Although this child has survived, she will not be living a full life. We need to be sending a clear message that society will not accept this type of behaviour.
"I would hope that there would be some kind of rehabilitation programme once this man leaves prison – what steps will be taken to ensure that he is safe to be in society again?"
Robert Duval, prosecuting, said the baby girl was just four weeks old when Ballard struck her head against a hard, flat surface, possibly a table.
The court heard that the blow may have knocked the baby unconscious, however she raised the alarm herself when her high-pitched screams were overheard.
Mr Duval said a bruise, left by Ballard's thumb, was discovered on the baby's forehead by her mother and she was taken to the doctor before being referred to hospital.
There, Mr Duval said an X-ray revealed a large skull fracture behind her right ear, and doctors found the injury consistent with a single blow to the head against a hard, flat surface.
"The brain scan suggests she suffered a significant, traumatic, brain injury, with bleeding into the brain and evidence of brain damage.
"It's described as a serious head injury which may leave her with long-term impairment.
"She had an epileptic seizure and was treated with anti-convulsion drugs," said Mr Duval.
It was believed the person looking after her would have known from her distress that she was seriously injured.
Mr Duval said the little girl's condition stabilised over the following five days and she was discharged.
Ray Tully, defending, said his client accepted he was responsible for the baby's head injury.
He said the baby was now achieving her developmental milestones.
Jailing Ballard, Judge Mark Horton said: "There can scarcely be a more vulnerable baby than this small fragile child.
"You caused a very serious injury. To make matters worse you failed to seek medical help for that child which could have included information on the causation and you sought to pass the blame on to others.
"Your recklessness in this case must have been of a very high order indeed given the nature of the serious injury caused."
