A teen dad who bit his seven-week-old baby boy’s nose and attacked him leaving his skull fractured has been jailed for life.
Doulton Phillips, who was 16 when it happened, was found guilty of murder at Winchester Crown Court in Hampshire yesterday.
Phillips was today detained for life with a minimum of 15 years.
His mother Alannah Skinner, who was 18 at the time, was convicted by majority of failing to protect the baby and failing to summon medical assistance sooner.
She was sentenced to 30 months’ detention.
The court also heard how Phillips took class A drug ecstasy and Skinner drank alcohol at a party which they took Reggie to hours before his murder.
Tragic infant Reggie Phillips suffered a skull fracture, broken leg and rib fractures in the fatal assault at a flat in Southampton earlier this year.
The child was taken to hospital with a serious head injury in the early hours of February 11, but was pronounced dead a short time later.
During the trial, the jury were told that the little boy suffered a series of horrifying injuries.
Prosecutor Adam Feest QC said Reggie “met a violent end as a result of an assault, or assaults, perpetrated against him inside the small flat in which he was living with his father and mother”.
“The window of opportunity to inflict these injuries was narrow. Reggiewas seen alive and well by witnesses at 2.30am that morning. Help was sought by the downstairs neighbour at 4.30am but non-survivable injuries were already present.
“Despite treatment, the position was hopeless, and he was pronounced dead at quarter to six that morning.”
Speaking of Phillips, Mr Feest continued: “The explanations he gave to police that his son had either accidentally fallen off the sofa when his nappy was being changed, or he had fallen from his arms when he and Ms Skinner were arguing, cannot account for the severity or multiplicity of the injuries sustained.
“They are more in keeping with a violent shaking or swinging, or indeed both. The nature is such that the person inflicting them must have intended to cause really serious injuries or death.”
Following yesterday’s conviction, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Bitters, said: “The treatment of this baby is very upsetting and shocking.
“The findings of the jury today bring to a close a long and complex investigation.
“This was a distressing case and I would like to thank the team involved in investigating the death of this baby; their dedication to bringing those responsible to justice should not go unnoticed.
“I would like to thank them and the partner agencies who have assisted our enquiries”.
