A man has been jailed for life for murdering his own four-month-old son.
Reece Kelly, 31, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years behind bars for killing his toddler Dallas.
The baby boy was found with horrific injuries, said to be consistent with being squeezed and shaken, a court previously heard.
Kelly admitted shaking Dallas but claimed he had no intention to cause him serious harm or death.
However, following a two-week trial a jury didn’t believe him and he was found guilty of the baby’s murder earlier this month.
Kelly was sentenced today following an investigation into the death of his baby who died on October 19, 2021.
He was also convicted of child cruelty – as was Dallas’s mother, Georgia Wright, 23, who was jailed for three years.
She was found not guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The court heard how the baby had bleeds on his brain and over his eyes – associated with ‘deliberate’ head injuries – and fingertip bruising on his chest, along with six fractured ribs.
One medical expert likened his injuries to those sustained from a fall from a ‘multi-storey building’ or a ‘fatal road traffic collision’.
One fracture found on little Dallas was about 6-12 weeks old, and neither parent could explain how the injuries occurred.
On October 19, 2021, Kelly called an ambulance and said his son was not breathing while Wright was at work. Dallas died later that evening.
Prosecutors revealed both Kelly and Wright led ‘chaotic’ lives as addicts and often left Dallas crying for hours, as seen in video evidence in court.
Drug paraphernalia was discovered throughout the couple’s home and later confiscated by police.
Victoria Agulló, senior Crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: ‘Dallas’s life was tragically cut short by his father, who should have loved and cared for him.
‘Throughout the police investigation and up until the first day of the trial Reece Kelly denied that he had caused any injuries to baby Dallas.
‘Everyone who has been involved in this case has been deeply moved by the tragic circumstances of Dallas’s death.’
Detective Superintendent Jenny Beattie, who led the investigation into Dallas’ death, said the four-month-old was ‘entirely defenceless’.
‘Any child, particularly one as young as Dallas, should have parents who care deeply for them and act in their child’s best interest at all times.
‘Sadly, this was not the case for Dallas,’ she said.
‘There is never any excuse or reason to cause harm or distress to a child and I am pleased that both Reece Kelly and Georgia Wright have been held accountable for their actions.’
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