Man left toddler with life-changing brain injury after 'deliberately shaking' her

A man claimed a child was left with a serious brain injury after he 'playfully' threw her in the air. Jack Hunt's claims were rejected by a judge after a senior doctor told how his explanation was not credible.

Hunt, 26, now faces a potential jail sentence after admitting inflicting grievously bodily harm on the toddler, who suffered 'life changing' injuries. Dr Sarah Dixon, a consultant paediatrician who is also the lead doctor for safeguarding children in Manchester, told Minshull Street Crown Court that the child's injuries were consistent with 'abusive head trauma by shaking'.

Judge Maurice Greene said: "I am sure that's what happened in this case, that there was a deliberate shaking, without the intention to inflict really serious bodily harm but clearly Mr Hunt would have been aware that his actions might cause some injury." Adjourning the case for sentencing in May, the judge told Hunt: "I make no promises as to sentence, all sentencing options remain open to the court."

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Prosecutors told how the toddler was rushed to hospital after an incident in January 2019. The court heard that at first Hunt claimed that the child had become floppy after picking her up.

But he was later prosecuted and at court pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding but denied deliberate shaking of the child. He submitted a basis of plea document in which he claimed the child had been injured after he threw the child up in the air and caught her at least twice recklessly. But this was rejected by the judge following a trial of issue on Friday, in which Dr Dixon was the only witness to appear in court. Hunt declined to give evidence.

Earlier in the hearing Dr Dixon