MAN WHO KILLED SIX-MONTH-OLD SON JAILED
A man convicted of causing fatal injuries to his infant son has received a 15-year prison sentence.David Hollick, aged 29 and residing on Primley Avenue in Walsall, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
He claimed during court proceedings in Birmingham that he had tripped and fallen while holding his six-month-old son, Kairo.
However, forensic medical experts testified that Kairo had sustained injuries typical of assault, including at least two skull fractures and a fractured right arm, which occurred while he was in Hollick’s care three days prior to his death.
Kairo passed away at Birmingham Children's Hospital in 2020.
The judge, Mr Justice Dove, stated at sentencing that he believed the injuries resulted from non-accidental trauma, specifically from blunt force impacts and possible shaking.
The court was told the injuries were not consistent with rough handling or accidental falls.
The judge expressed disbelief that a parent could commit such acts against their own child, emphasizing the severity of the breach of trust involved.
Prosecutor David Mason KC described how Kairo had been violently shaken and hit with a hard object at least twice.
Evidence was presented that the child's mother, Adina Johnson, had left Kairo with Hollick at his home over the weekend of February 7, even though the child had a cold, and she had no concerns about his health at that time.
Hollick, who had been living in his parents’ conservatory due to space constraints following the end of his relationship with Ms Johnson, was accused of fabricating an accident narrative to conceal his abuse.
Ms Johnson described her and her family’s ongoing grief, noting that Kairo was a beloved baby who learned quickly and was missed deeply.
She expressed shock and sorrow over his loss, which she said was incomprehensible four years after the incident.
