Father of baby girl found not guilty of cruelty and assault

Prosecution had alleged the baby had been shaken by accused, but he claimed he lied to social workers so that the child would remain with one of her parents

The prosecution claimed that the circumstantial evidence pointed inescapably to the infant’s 31-year-old father, but the defence said there was a hole in the middle of the prosecution in the shape of the baby’s absent mother. File picture: Larry Cummins

The seven women and five men of the jury in the trial related to cruelty to a six-month-old girl have found her 31-year-old father not guilty of assault and cruelty.

Moments after Judge Dermot Sheehan told them that instead of unanimous verdicts, they could reach verdicts by a 10-2 or 11-1 majority, they came back to Courtroom 5 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court and delivered not guilty verdicts to cruelty and assault causing serious harm.