2009: FATHER WHO SHOOK HIS BABY IS JAILED
A court heard that a baby girl was shaken with such force by her father that she might experience learning challenges in the future.Additionally, Istvan Lakatos assaulted the child’s head against a surface with considerable force, necessitating immediate surgical intervention.
Yesterday, he received a three-year prison sentence at Bolton Crown Court.
The 31-year-old Hungarian, residing on Huxley Street in Halliwell, was informed that he is likely to face deportation upon completing his sentence.
Lakatos had denied causing serious harm to 15-month-old Evelyn Lakatos and also denied neglecting her medical needs and providing false information to healthcare providers.
Despite his claims, a jury found him guilty last month.
The court revealed that Evelyn sustained serious injuries in November 2007 while Lakatos was responsible for her care at their home on Mornington Road, Heaton.
Lakatos maintained he did not know how she was injured.
The baby was shaken so vigorously that bleeding was observed behind her eye, and she had been hit on her head against a hard surface with enough force to develop a blood clot on her brain.
She was only taken to hospital later that day after a relative noticed she was unresponsive, floppy, and experiencing seizures.
She underwent emergency brain surgery and spent six weeks hospitalized.
She now resides in Hungary with her mother.
The prosecutor, Thomas Gilbart, stated that Evelyn had made a good recovery overall, but recent medical reports indicated she exhibited mild weakness in her right arm, was on medication to prevent seizures, and might face mild to moderate learning difficulties.
During the trial, defense attorney Amanda Johnson said Lakatos was distressed by his daughter’s injuries and cared deeply for her.
"He has to live with what he has done to his daughter," she emphasized.
Lakatos, who had prior convictions for theft, bodily harm, and blackmail in Hungary, was emotional in the courtroom as Judge Elliot Knopf sentenced him to three years in prison.
