September 2009 Soldier who killed stepson after ‘sudden loss of temper’ jailed Shaun Thompson, a soldier who killed his 21-month-old stepson after “a sudden loss of temper”, has been jailed for five years. Private Thompson, a member of the Royal Anglian Regiment, denied playing any part in the death of Kieran Edwards for two years after his death. Stafford Crown Court heard that Kieran died in hospital three days after suffering a substantial brain injury at his home in Market Drayton, Shropshire in June 2007. Prosecuting, Rachel Brand QC said Thompson, 25, who has been in the army for eight years, began a relationship with Kieran’s mother and his wife in late 2005 when his regiment moved to Shropshire’s Tern Hill barracks. On Sunday June 24, 2007, Kieran had bumped his head after falling onto tiles at the couple’s home, but doctors later established that the accident had nothing to do with his death. Miss Brand said that the defendant was left alone to care for Kieran at about 7pm on June 24 while his wife went out with a friend. Medical experts later said that Kieran must have been subjected to shaking or a traumatic event during the following 30 minutes, which had caused swelling and bleeding around his brain. His stepfather initially denied that anything violent had happened to the boy and attempt to blame the death on the earlier fall Kieran suffered, but he changed his account after his arrest on suspicion of murder in May 2008. As a result of his denials, Mrs Thompson was subjected to a two-year ordeal that saw her arrested on suspicion of murder and their own two surviving children taken into care. Thompson, 25, now faces being discharged from the army after admitting manslaughter but denying murder. Defence QC Mark George, offering mitigation on behalf of the serviceman, submitted that Kieran had died as a result of a loss of self-control. “It was two years after Kieran died before the defendant finally acknowledged that he – and he alone – was responsible for the injuriesthat caused Kieran’s death,” Mr George conceded. “The evidence in this case is that Mr Thompson was a good father to Kieran – this is not a case where this little boy has been abused by a man who is not his father. “Kieran died as a result of a sudden loss of temper by the defendant – who did not intend to cause really serious harm, let alone any injury causing the child to die.” Passing sentence on Thompson after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, Mr Justice Saunders said the soldier’s insistence that he had not harmed Kieran meant he could only be given limited credit for his plea. The judge said Thompson, had allowed his wife to remain under suspicion of murder for a considerable period when he could have ended her ordeal by admitting his guilt. Mr Justice Saunders told Thompson: “The medical evidence makes it clear that Kieran must have been either shaken or struck a blow. “It is impossible to say for certain how hard the shaking or blow would have to be to cause the injury suffered by Kieran, but it must have been entirely inconsistent with the proper care of such a young child. “While I take into account that the defendant did not intend to cause the death of the child, nor to cause him really serious harm… the court has to reflect the fact that a life has been taken.” In a statement issued by her solicitor outside the court building, Mrs Thompson said she was now considering divorce proceedings. “It is plain from the medical evidence that at a time when Shaun Thompson was alone looking after Kieran, some incident involving substantial violence occurred which led to the loss of Kieran’s life,” the statement said. “By his plea of guilty to manslaughter Shaun Thompson has at last accepted responsibility for this shocking act after a protracted period of trying to blame me for what happened.” Paying tribute to Kieran as a happy, beautiful little boy, Mrs Thompson added: “Shaun Thompson has deprived my much-loved son of his life and this is something with which I am having the greatest difficulty in coming to terms with.”