February 2021 Dudley father who shook baby daughter to death jailed for life for her murder Dudley father Philip Peace has today been jailed for life for murder after a jury found him guilty of shaking his five-month-old daughter to death. Peace, aged 43, of Himley Road, was imprisoned for a minimum of 14 years over the murder of Summer Peace on September 9, 2017. He violently shook her during a momentarily loss of temper the previous day which resulted in her suffering fatal brain injuries. Sentencing Peace at Birmingham Crown Court today, Mr Justice Linden said: “What you have done will cast a long shadow over you and your family for the rest of your life.” The incident happened within a two-minute period between two phone calls with another person just after 4pm on September 8, 2017, when Summer had become unsettled and was crying Mr Linden said Peace and the caller struggled to hear one another as Summer was crying so loudly. In sentencing peace, Mr Linden said: “Just after two minutes later, you called back and said Summer had collapsed and was not breathing properly. “It is clear that the jury concluded that between these two calls you snapped and, at the very least, shook Summer so hard that her head moved on the axis between skull and neck with sufficient violence to cause serious damage to the area of the brain stem which controls a person’s heart beat and their breathing. This, in turn, caused Summer immediate cardio-respiratory arrest and she collapsed. “I accept your actions were out of character and you did not intend to kill her, although the jury found you intended to cause her serious injuries. “She was clearly a delightful, happy, baby. She was in rude health and she had no reason to fear, or even suspect, that her life would be cut short in the way that it was.” Summer was initially rushed to Russells Hall Hospital but was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where died at 5.44pm the day after she collapsed. After her collapse, Peace called 999 and carried out chest compressions while paramedics raced to the scene. The judge praised paramedics who arrived on the scene three minutes after the 999 and called their work “exemplary”. Mr Linden said the starting point for Mr Peace’s sentence was 15 years, but having weighed up aggravating and mitigating factors, he said: “Philip Peace, I sentence you to life in prison with a minimum term of 14 years.” February 2021 Father convicted today of killing his baby daughter A Dudley father has been convicted today of killing his baby daughter more than three years ago. Philip Peace was caring for his daughter alone on the afternoon of 8 September 2017 when he reported to emergency services that she had become unresponsive. Paramedics arrived at the property in Heath Green, and tried to resuscitate five-month-old Summer Peace. She was taken to hospital where specialists battled to save her, but sadly her life support was withdrawn the next day as it became clear nothing could be done. During a five week trial, medical experts told how they found evidence of injuries consistent with Summer having been shaken and then thrown against a semi-hard surface such as a sofa. Her injuries included fractured ribs, retinal bleeding and a catastrophic brain injury, so severe that it had been the cause of her immediate respiratory collapse that afternoon. And after deliberating for three days the jury reached their verdict that 43-year-old Peace is guilty of murder. He will be sentenced tomorrow.