Baby died in moment of 'pure violence', jury told

A father killed his four-week-old baby by shaking him in a moment of "pure violence", a jury has been told.

Tony Bartlett, 39, of Axminster in Devon, is accused of fatally shaking his son Atticus to death at home in Chard, Somerset, following a night out on 16 July 2022.

Atticus suffered severe internal trauma to his brain and spinal cord and died in hospital seven days later. Bartlett denies both charges of manslaughter and murder.

At Bristol Crown Court earlier, prosecutor Charles Row KC said Bartlett's "loss of temper and frustration" was "almost certainly fuelled" by eight and a half pints of alcohol.

"Mr Bartlett can't admit to himself that when he was drunk, in a moment of pure violence, he did something that he will regret for the rest of his life," Row said.

During the trial, jurors heard how Bartlett and his partner Evelyn Ballentyne had gone to a pub and comedy club for their first evening out since their son's birth.

The baby's grandmother and her husband came to the family's home on Darcis Row to care for him while his parents were out.

The court was told over the evening Bartlett consumed eight and a half pints of beer.

Upon returning home, Ballentyne went upstairs to change at about 23:00 BST, while Bartlett was left alone in the living room to feed Atticus.

The prosecution allege that while Ballentyne was upstairs, Bartlett violently shook Atticus so hard he caused severe internal injuries to his brain and spinal cord.

The court wad told he also sustained three rib fractures that could not be attributed to resuscitation efforts.

In his closing speech, Row said Atticus was difficult to feed and it could sometimes take as long as an hour.

Describing Bartlett, Mr Row said: "He would have been potentially less tolerant, less patient, less able to control his temper and frustration.

"The loss of temper and frustration may have been brief. It was almost certainly fuelled by those eight and a half pints of Stella.

"Mr Bartlett shook his infant son with force sufficient to kill him. This wasn't an accident – it wasn't a slip, it wasn't rough handling.

"It was deliberate application of force to a child who could not defend himself. The fact Mr Bartlett was drunk is no excuse."

Row told jurors the fatal attack may have been "over in seconds".

The trial continues.

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