Man left babies with brain injury and broken bones after attacks

A man who attacked two vulnerable baby boys who were admitted to hospital after the assaults has been jailed for more than six years.

Andrew White inflicted a fractured ankle and bruising to his first victim and a leg fracture and brain injury to the second child.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that White, 32, had previously stated the crying of the first child was “a pain in the a**e”.

Unemployed White, formerly of Stirling Street, Dundee, admitted assaulting the child to his severe injury when he was aged around three months in 2010 at a house in Livingston, in West Lothian.

White also pled guilty to assaulting the second child in 2018 at a house in Shotts, in North Lanarkshire, to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.

White was originally charged with attempting to murder the second child but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to a reduced charge.

The first victim was referred to doctors after he was noted to have apparent injuries to his foot, knee, body and on a cheek.

Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC said: “The injuries could not have been caused by inadvertent rough handling.”

The second victim was taken to hospital where medical staff found the child had a significantly swollen right upper thigh and a bruise across his chest.

He was transferred to a children’s hospital but as he was being assessed by doctors suffered a prolonged seizure and was intubated overnight.

Mr Ewing said that the seizure suffered by the baby would have been life threatening if not treated.

The prosecutor said: “The brain injury is consistent with having been caused by abusive head trauma such as shaking.”

The court heard that the child appeared to have made a good recovery from his injuries.

A judge told White that at the time of the first assault he was aged 19 and “relatively immature,” but was a mature adult when he committed the second offence.

Lord Doherty said it was fortunate, particularly in relation to the second assault, that the consequences were not more serious.

He noted that White had a difficult childhood, suffered from mental health issues and had a leg amputated when run down by a car.

The judge also said that he accepted that White was genuinely remorseful for what he had done to the children.

He ordered that White should be under supervision for a further two-year period following his six year and four-month jail term when he will be under licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its terms.

Defence solicitor advocate Calum Weir said White accepted he required to be punished. He added: “He deeply regrets his conduct.”