A Nottinghamshire father found guilty of killing his two-month-old son has been jailed for 12 years.
Easton Robinson, 38, of Wasnidge Walk, St Ann’s, Nottingham, was sentenced today (Friday November 11) after being convicted of the manslaughter of his son Eden Robinson.
He was trialled and sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.
In a victim impact statement given to the court, Eden’s mother Clare Mellors said: “Eden was my only child and I was enjoying being a new mother.
“Eden brought me to life and I loved seeing him change from day to day.
“I cannot believe his little life was cut so short when he passed away on Tuesday November 11 2014 at only nine weeks old.
“My world began to fall around me when I received a distressed call from Eden’s father, Easton Robinson, on the morning of Saturday November 8 2014.
“Easton had been looking after Eden since Thursday November 6 2014.
“When I arrived at hospital to the sight of Eden lying in that hospital cot, looking so tiny and lifeless, all I wanted to do was hold him, but I wasn’t allowed anywhere near him.
I watched him pass away in my arms
“I wasn’t able to hold my baby until the doctors turned off his life support machine and I watched Eden pass away in my arms.
“I will never be able to put into words how I felt at that moment.
“I was completely lost, I didn’t feel like I was in my own body, it was all very surreal and I just felt as if I was there watching over someone else going through the pain.
“At one point I remember hearing crying and it took a few seconds to realise it was the sound of my own crying I could hear.
“I felt like a little girl again and I had no idea what to do from that moment on.
“It took me 10 months to come to terms with the fact that Easton was responsible.
“I feel physically sick at having been fooled by him for so long.
“I do not think about any time I spent with Easton anymore, I just can’t.
He never got to call me Mum
“I despise the man for taking my baby away from me.
“Eden never got to call me Mum, he was never given the opportunity to reach any of his milestones, he was robbed of his whole life.”
The court heard Easton Robinson was caring for his child at his home on the morning of Saturday November 8 2014 at 8.50am when the baby became very ill.
Robinson called the baby’s mother to say that there is “something wrong with him” and that there was a lot of phlegm coming from the baby’s mouth and nose.
The baby’s mother called for an ambulance and he arrived at the Queen’s Medical Centre with no heartbeat at 9.20am.
Medical staff were able to restart the child’s heart but he remained in a critical condition and was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit.
Ultimately the injuries sustained were found to be too severe to survive and a decision was made for life support to be withdrawn.
Eden Robinson was pronounced dead at 4.41pm on Tuesday November 11 2014.
Medical evidence showed beyond doubt his actions had led to his son’s death
Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Hayley Williams, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “The death of a child at such a young age is always a tragedy, particularly so when it is at the hands of a parent.
“Easton Robinson refused from the outset to take responsibility for his actions but the medical evidence showed beyond doubt that his actions had led directly to his son’s death.”
A post-mortem examination found the cause of Eden’s death was a head injury which had been inflicted; no natural disease was found.
Investigations also revealed that the fatal assault was part of a wider pattern of abuse, with a number of broken bones sustained in the weeks before his death, which the prosecution said were deliberately inflicted by Easton Robinson.
Examinations showed bleeding on the baby’s brain consistent with a traumatic head injury; a consultant neurologist stated the injuries were comparable to a shaking-type injury.
Easton Robinson denied harming the child in any way from the moment of his arrest on the November 11 2014.
He stated in interview that he had not caused any injury to his son, nor had he any reason to harm his son.
He was charged with murder but was found guilty of manslaughter.
