A DERRY man has been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to his 4½-month-old son. The court heard the baby was now blind and brain-damaged after being shaken by his father.
It is believed to be one of the first convictions of its kind in a court in Northern Ireland.
Robert John Anderson (26), whose specific address cannot be made public on the order of trial judge Philip Babington, and whose baby son cannot be named, was found guilty by a majority verdict following a 5½-week trial held in the absence of the media at the Crown Court in Derry.
He was also found unanimously guilty of cruelty to his son by neglect.
The media was allowed in court for both verdicts.
As a result of injuries sustained in the incident on December 16th, 2008, the baby is now permanently blind, permanently brain-damaged, can only respond to noise, is unable to speak and has other mobility and disability problems.
After the jurors returned their guilty verdicts after several hours, Anderson and members of his family, including his partner who is the baby’s mother, wept.
A defence application to have him released on bail pending his sentencing on March 24th was refused. Anderson was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in four weeks.