Grandfather convicted of baby's murder

A man who conned his reunited daughter into thinking he was dying of cancer has been found guilty of murdering her five-week-old baby.

Mark Jones, 45, carried out a brutal attack on granddaughter Amelia while babysitting for the newborn’s mother Sarah, 26, as she went to the cinema.

Newport Crown Court heard that the defendant called his daughter first, rather than dial 999, after Amelia stopped breathing.

Doctors later found Amelia had suffered a catastrophic bleed to the brain as well as having fractures to her skull, ribs and leg.

She died 48 hours later in hospital – aged just 41 days old.

Experts believe she received a serious blow to the head as well as being violently shaken.

But Newport Crown Court heard that Jones was a serial liar who could not be trusted.

Not only did he try blame other children for his granddaughter’s injuries, he had deceived daughter Sarah for more than a year into thinking that he was seriously ill.

Police-issued photo of Amelia Jones.

He repeatedly phoned her up masquerading as a doctor and pretended to pass out in front of her after telling her he had taken “anti-cancer drugs”.

And to make his act look all the more convincing, Jones hobbled around on a crutch with what appeared to be plastic tubes to his chest.

Jones claimed Amelia’s death had been a tragic accident after dropping her on two separate nights.

But the court was told the defendant said nothing about a supposed “black out” for 22 months – and only came up with the story after police had re-arrested him.

But today a jury convicted Jones of murder.

Amelia died in November 2012, two days after being babysat at her home in Pontnewydd, Cwmbran , south Wales, by Jones.

As the jury's unanimous verdict came in, Jones showed no emotion - and did not flinch when his daughter's victim impact statement was read aloud in court.

She said her life had been totally destroyed – and it had given her other children nightmares.

One of them had asked: “If grandad gets out of prison, will we have to move? I’m afraid he will come and kill me next.”

Amelia's mother said her baby's life now seemed like a dream and her father's betrayal has left her unable to trust anyone.

And, in the midst of her grief, further heartbreak was to come after her other children were taken off her by social services while a police investigation into her baby’s death went ahead.

“Amelia was not the only one of my children I lost,” she said.

“My other three were taken away from me and I did not see them for another three weeks after Amelia had died.

“I was even arrested, accused of killing Amelia. My life had been destroyed.”