Dad bit and inflicted horrific injuries on two-year-old son before murdering him

A tattoo artist has been found guilty of murdering his two-year-old son, weeks after being granted custody of the child.

The jury took less than two hours to find Daniel Hardcastle, 31, unanimously guilty of murdering Damion Russell at the flat they shared in Central Drive, Blackpool, LancsLive reports. The defenceless tot suffered injuries 'from head to toe, front to back', the court heard.

Damion was rushed to hospital after suffering cardiac and respiratory arrest as a result of the horrific injuries inflicted by his father on the morning of July 19, 2023. Throughout the trial at Preston Crown Court, Hardcastle tried to paint a picture of a devoted dad who fought the family court system to take care of his much loved son.

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He admitted he had bitten his son, hard enough to leave teeth marks on the toddler's thigh, but claimed he was "playing rough" with Damion. He said Damion was a clumsy tot and had collided with a coffee table while playing with his toys in the living room.

But the jury saw through his lies after hearing how Hardcastle spent the nights before Damion died drinking and chatting to women on social media. He left Damion alone in the flat to visit local shops to buy more alcohol.

When emergency services arrived at the flat on August 19, they were met by Hardcastle, who was bare chested and had blood on his face. He had called 999 and was attempting CPR.

Damion's blood soaked clothing was found in the kitchen bin and Hardcastle was attempting to clean Damion's faeces from the sofa. Two days after the attack, Damion's life support was withdrawn and he died in Manchester Children's Hospital.

As the jury