Man jailed over skull fracture injuries to baby girl

A man who fractured a baby girl's skull in two separate violent attacks has been given an extended sentence totalling 15 years.
Steven Davies.Steven Davies.
Steven Davies.

A court heard how Steven Davies may have caused the injuries by punching, kicking, stamping, throwing or swinging the baby by her ankles after losing his temper.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court found Davies guilty of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after a trial.

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The trial heard the injuries were caused when the baby was less than a year old.

The offences came to light in October 2013 when the baby was examined and found to have a complex skull fracture which doctors said would have required “extreme force”.

The youngster was taken to hospital after the she had spent the day in Davies’s care at a house in Normanton, near Wakefield.

Davies lied to the the child’s mother that he had sought medical attention for the baby’s injuries after claiming she had hit her head on a coffee table.

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Doctors rejected Davies account and said the skull fracture had been cause by a blunt impact, such as punching, kicking, stamping or being thrown into a hard surface.

Doctors also found evidence of another, older skull fracture.

That injury, believed to have been caused three months earlier, was consistent with a severe blow such as a slap.

The court heard the child has made a full recovery despite the severity of the injuries she suffered.

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Davies, of Jubliee Avenue, Normanton, denied causing any injury to the child at the trial.

The court heard he has previous convictions for violence, including punching and kicking a former partner in an assault in 2010.

A probation report assessed him as dangerous

Caroline Wiggin, for Davies, said her client continued to deny carrying out the offences.

She said Davies would attend courses designed to address the offences he had been convicted of while in custody.

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Judge Rodney Jameson, QC, said: “What I am sure of is that you are incapable of controlling your emotions, in particular, your temper when you are left alone with a vulnerable child. I am satisfied it is that, rather than a deliberate desire to cause wanton injuries, that has occurred on these occasions.

Judge Jameson imposed the extended sentence after telling Davies he considered him to pose a serious risk of causing harm to others in the future.

Davies must serve a custodial term of 12 years, of which he must serve at least eightt years before he is allowed to apply for parole, followed by a further three years on licence.

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