A YOUNG Bradford father has been jailed for losing his temper with his baby son and shaking him causing a bleed on the brain.

The judge locking him up for 18 months said he was too preoccupied with his PlayStation to give the infant the love and patience he needed.

The man in his twenties, who can’t be named to protect the identity of the child, was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the boy.

Prosecutor Abigail Langford told the jury that the baby was admitted to the emergency department at Bradford Royal Infirmary having been unresponsive.

He had bleeding on the brain and a collection of blood around his spine.

Doctors concluded that the injuries were deliberately inflicted when he was shaken.

The court heard that the man was left in charge of his son for a short time. When the child’s mother returned the baby was floppy and had suffered a subdural haemorrhage.

Miss Langford said at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing that the child had no ongoing symptoms but without treatment the injuries could have been life-threatening.

Helen Chapman said in mitigation that the man was of previous good character.

References handed into the trial judge, Recorder Geraldine Kelly, spoke very highly of him. He had ‘snapped’ after never showing any violence to anybody.

Recorder Kelly said the defendant became irritated when the baby cried for his feed. He was helpless and utterly dependant on his father who was alone with him for a few minutes.

In that short space of time, he was too preoccupied with his PlayStation to give him love and patience. He was irritable and angry and he lost his temper and deliberately shook him causing the brain injury.

The baby became ‘unresponsive and floppy’ but the man failed to call an ambulance.

Recorder Kelly said his panic and distress was more about him, and the consequences for him, than his son.

The little boy’s injury had healed three months’ later and he now appeared to be developing normally. But the defendant had denied his offending, showing a lack of any real remorse.

It was ‘pure luck’ that there had been so far no noticeable consequences for the child.

Recorder Kelly told the man that the baby had been ‘at his mercy.’ Character references spoke of his good and caring side but ‘sadly that was in short supply’ that morning.

He had lied to the jury to cover up his loss of temper.