‘Very drunk’ father ‘vented anger’ on 4-week-old baby son after evening out | UK | News

A father who murdered his four-week-old son by shaking him has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years. Atticus Bartlett died in hospital after collapsing at his family home in Chard, Somerset, on July 16, 2022. His father, Tony Bartlett, 39, of Axminster, Devon, was convicted of murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The jury found Bartlett violently shook Atticus, causing severe internal injuries to the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Mr Justice Cavanagh jailed Bartlett, formerly a postman, for life and ordered him to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison. The judge told Bartlett he was “very drunk” when he carried out the fatal attack on Atticus, adding: “I have no doubt that this terrible tragedy would not have happened if you were not so heavily intoxicated.”

He said Bartlett had been feeding Atticus with a bottle and the baby was bringing up the milk.

“In your drunken state, Atticus’s inability to take the bottle as well as you thought he should enraged you,” the judge said.

“You had a sudden fit of anger. You vented that anger on your tiny baby son. You shook him very violently indeed, gripping him very tightly round his ribcage.

“This only lasted a few seconds or at most a minute or so. Just in that brief moment, you wanted to cause Atticus serious injury.

“As suddenly as you began, you stopped, your anger evaporated, and then you dozed off.”

During the trial, Charles Row KC said Bartlett had been “drunk and frustrated” when he attacked his newborn son.

Bartlett and his then-partner, Evelyn Ballentyne, Atticus’s mother, had gone to a pub and comedy club that evening.

Ms Ballentyne’s mother, Rachel Donovan, and her husband went to the family’s home on Darcis Row, Chard, to care for Atticus.

Over the evening, Bartlett drank 8.5 pints of lager before returning home with Ms Ballentyne.

Mr Row told the court: “Evelyn Ballentyne went upstairs for a few minutes, leaving Atticus in the defendant’s sole care. When she returned, Atticus was lying face down across the defendant’s lap.

“She said ‘he’s dead, he’s not breathing’. She noted that the defendant appeared to be asleep or at least his eyes were closed. The defendant flipped Atticus over. Atticus released two gasps and appeared to be floppy and lifeless.”

Emergency services attended the property and Atticus was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

His brain damage was so severe he did not regain consciousness or breathe for himself.

Atticus died just before midnight on July 23, 2022.

Experts said the injuries suffered by Atticus were associated with “vigorous shaking”, with his rib fractures caused by “gripping and squeezing” during that attack, Mr Row told the court.

In a victim personal statement, Ms Ballentyne described how she had been left with “severe anxiety” following Atticus’s death.

She said: “I will never know what kind of person Atticus would have become. I will never see him hit milestones. I will never see him go to school. I will never see him grow up and have a family of his own.”

She continued: “Who plans their baby’s funeral? Who goes to the chapel of rest? I had to wait 11 hours and 18 minutes for Atticus to die. It was horrendous. I was scared to go out, I was scared to stay in. I don’t enjoy any moments because I have a dead son. It is mentally and emotionally draining all the time. It is awful.”

Her mother, Mrs Donovan, told the court how she wondered what Atticus would look like now and what toys he would like to play with.

She said: “I just want one more day with Atticus. I’m glad I had Atticus that night. He was loved and cuddled and had a lovely night with us. I just hope and pray he never knew what happened to him.”

Representing Bartlett, Nigel Power KC said his client had previously been a “good and caring parent” to his son.

“This is not a case where there is intention to kill or premeditation,” Mr Power said.