Father admits murdering three-week-old baby son

Denis Beytula, 27, attacked three-week-old Andrei Stefan at a property in Portland Close, Wallsend, North Tyneside, on October 2.

The boy was rushed to hospital before being declared dead on October 6.

His mother, 21-year-old Andreea Stefan, was seriously injured in the incident but was later discharged from hospital.

Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, Bulgarian Beytula showed little emotion as he admitted murdering Andrei and attempting to murder Ms Stefan.

The defendant, of Portland Close, will be sentenced at the same court on December 19.

Concluding the hearing, Judge Penny Moorland told bearded Beytula: "You will be sentenced for the offences which you have admitted on the 19th of December. You remain in custody until that date.

"That concludes this hearing, and you may go down."

Emergency services were called to the property at around 2.15pm, where they found Ms Stefan and Andrei with critical injuries.

Both had wounds consistent with a stabbing, police said at the time.

As the mother's condition improved in hospital her son's worsened, and he was eventually declared dead.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Cole, of Northumbria Police, said it was "impossible to imagine" what the baby's family had gone through.

He added: "This is a devastating time for the baby's family."

By Henry Clare, PA