Baby boy left with fractured skull and bleed on the brain after dad accidentally punched him at Sheffield home

Cory Conyers, 29, carried out the assault on his wife during an incident on December 18 last year, and Sheffield Crown Court heard how she was holding their young son throughout.

Recorder Megan Rhys said she accepted that Conyers had not intended to punch his son, who she described as being ‘caught in the cross fire,’ as the defendant rained down blows on his wife.

Following the incident, Conyers fled the scene, while his wife took their son to Northern General Hospital, where he spent three nights.

The tot was found to have suffered two fractures to his skull and a bleed to the brain.

Prosecuting barrister Louise Gallagher read a statement from a doctor who examined the boy and determined that his injuries had been caused by a ‘severe impact to his head’.

The doctor said it was not currently possible to assess the developmental impact the injury was likely to have, but concluded he did not require medical intervention.

Ms Gallagher said the police were called, and officers subsequently found Conyers parked up in his car on Chippinghouse Road, Nether Edge.

A breath sample taken on the night revealed that Conyers was twice over the legal blood alcohol limit, and he was remanded into custody following his arrest.

Summarising the case, Recorder Rhys said the attack took place after Conyers came back to the family home drunk and began arguing with his wife.

He initially left, but returned a short time later.

Recorder Rhys told Conyers: “She was, in the circumstances, quite happy for you to go. You returned shortly afterwards and she told you you were not welcome and went to see to your four-week-old child. You refused to accept what she said, and kicked the door open. There was a further argument between the two of you, while she was holding the baby.

"You leaned over and punched her to the head about five times.”

Conyers’ wife asked him to stop the attack but he continued, and went on to accidentally punch their baby son, the court heard.

In a statement read to the court, Conyers’ wife said she was ‘devastated’ by what he had done.

She said she had struggled to cope financially after Conyers was remanded into custody, and had been forced to return to her native country of the Bahamas to stay with her family.

Conyers, of Fulwood Road, West Sheffield, pleaded guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm, relating to the injury inflicted on Conyers’ son; assault by beating and driving while over the prescribed limit at an earlier hearing.

Ian West, defending, said: “He is absolutely ashamed and disgusted with what he did. There was no intention, of course, to harm his child. It was a reckless attack [on his wife], for which he accepts full responsibility.”

Mr West said Conyers knew he was likely to go to custody, and that he would lose his employment and accommodation, as a consequence.

Recorder Rhys sentenced Conyers to 30 months in prison for all offences.

She told him: “It’s clear that what you did on that night has devastated your wife.”