CHRISTOPHER REES SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF BABY IN MERTHYR TYDDFIL

In a tragic and harrowing case that shocked the community of Merthyr Tydfil, a young father named Christopher Rees, aged 24, was convicted of the heinous murder of his eight-week-old son, Bradley George. The incident unfolded in the early hours at a residence in Gurnos, where Rees’s violent actions resulted in the infant suffering fatal head injuries.

According to court proceedings, Rees entered the home while intoxicated, storming into the house where his partner, Samantha George, 22, was with their baby. The court was told that Rees, in a drunken rage fueled by jealousy, used the infant as a weapon during his assault on Ms. George. Prosecutor Roger Thomas QC described how Rees had forcibly taken the baby from a 10-year-old girl present in the house, grabbing him by the feet and swinging him around in a violent manner. This brutal act was part of a larger attack that saw the baby’s head striking walls within the bedroom, leading to catastrophic injuries.

Witnesses reported hearing the baby whimpering during the attack. Rees, in a moment of apparent remorse or perhaps desperation, reportedly exclaimed, “Look what you have done. You may as well kill me. I love you,” before fleeing the scene. Ms. George managed to escape downstairs and immediately raised the alarm with neighbors, who found her bleeding heavily and the house in chaos. Police officers arrived to find a scene of disorder, with Rees attempting to flee the property after being sprayed with CS gas. He was quickly apprehended, despite his efforts to escape.

The infant was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries approximately three hours later. A post-mortem examination revealed multiple skull fractures, confirming the severity of the trauma inflicted upon Bradley George. The court learned that Rees and Ms. George had a tumultuous relationship that lasted for about eight months, although she had left him prior to the birth of their child. Despite the separation, Rees continued to pursue her obsessively, driven by jealousy and resentment, which ultimately escalated into violence.

On the night of the murder in November, Rees was heavily intoxicated, with blood alcohol levels found to be three times over the legal limit for driving. His behavior and state of intoxication contributed to the tragic outcome. Rees pleaded guilty to the charge of murder, and Judge Roderick Evans QC sentenced him to life imprisonment, emphasizing that such a sentence was the only appropriate punishment for such a brutal act.

Following the sentencing, Ms. George’s mother, Marilyn Gullis, expressed her anguish and desire for justice, stating, “I hope he stays behind bars for the rest of his life. I hope he suffers while he is there and I hope they give him a real hard time. My daughter is destroyed.” The case has left a lasting scar on the community of Merthyr Tydfil, highlighting the devastating consequences of domestic violence and unchecked alcohol abuse.