Latest news with #SophieStaddon
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Moment dad who murdered newborn by smashing his head against hospital wall calmly smokes cig as docs fought to save tot
Monster beat premature son to death to avoid being separated from his partner PURE EVIL Moment dad who murdered newborn by smashing his head against hospital wall calmly smokes cig as docs fought to save tot THIS is the chilling moment a dad who murdered his two-week-old son casually went outside to smoke a cigarette as medics battled to save the tot's life. Daniel Gunter, 25, inflicted catastrophic injuries on his young son, Brendon, akin to falling from a high-rise building, after smashing his head against a wall in a hospital's special baby unit. Advertisement 8 The monster casually went to smoke after inflicting devastating injuries to the tot Credit: Unpixs 8 Baby Brendon suffered injuries akin to falling from a high-rise building Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 8 Daniel Gunter was found guilty of murdering his two-week-old son Credit: PA 8 He blamed the young baby for leaving him alone and struck him with devastating consequences Credit: PA Gunter was today convicted of murder, while the baby's mother Sophie Staddon, 20, was found not guilty of causing or allowing harm to her son at Yeovil District Hospital in March 2024. A jury at Bristol Crown Court heard during the three week trial how Brendon had been born seven weeks prematurely. But his condition improved and he was ready to be discharged to a mother and baby unit as they had no permanent home to go to. On March 5, self-centred Daniel feared that he would be separated from the woman who he had controlled throughout their two-year relationship. Advertisement He blamed the young baby for leaving him alone and struck him with devastating consequences. Pretending to be cuddling his son, Gunter is thought to have slammed the fragile baby's body against a brick wall while holding onto his ankles. His head was crushed so as to shatter his skull and he had a broken neck, jaw, legs, ankles and wrists. Medical staff scooped up his limp and lifeless body and carried him to the resuscitation area a few paces from where he lay. Advertisement Doctors and nurses tried desperately to do everything they could but Brendon did not respond. Dr Roger Malcolmson, a consultant paediatric and pathologist said that the damage equated to someone falling from a high-rise building or a high impact car crash The jury was told how the young couple had met shortly after Staddon had left foster care and they had an on-off relationship and on occasion Mr Gunter would be violent towards Ms Staddon. In the days after Brendon's birth in February 2024, the couple were regularly at his bedside in the special care baby unit at Yeovil District Hospital. Advertisement Mother Jailed for Abusing and Killing Four-Month-Old Daughter It was there they were told by social workers that the baby was going to be taken into care when he was well enough to leave. Nurses were aware of emotional tensions between Staddon and Gunter in the days after Brendon's birth. One of the nurses noted how Gunter would take Brendon out of his incubator without asking anyone as he was supposed to do. And on another occasion, Staddon was found crying and saying she didn't want to be with Gunter anymore. Advertisement In the hours before Brendon's death, nurses had had to console Staddon who was crying and she explained she was upset because Gunter had told her that he was not the father. Throughout the evening of March 4, the couple continued arguing over whether Gunter was Brendon's real father and at one point Ms Staddon was heard shouting: 'Just go leave me alone.' After Gunter had killed the tot, footage showed him casually smoking a cigarette outside the hospital before police rushed up to arrest him. Staddon could be heard saying: 'No my baby's dead. You're telling me my baby's dead. I didn't kill my baby. It's his dad. It wouldn't be me. It would be his dad.' Advertisement The prosecution claimed that Gunter's actions were born of frustration, rage and insecurity of not knowing if he was the father. He was angry that Brendon was the reason why he and Staddon might be forced to live separately. Gunter had come to the realisation that Brendon had the potential at least to be the focus of Staddon's life, pushing him to the margins. The detective leading the inquiry into Brendon death said the murder of the two-week-old baby would stay with her for the rest of her life. Advertisement 8 He was angry that Brendon was the reason why he and Staddon might be forced to live separately Credit: Unpixs 8 In the hours before Brendon's death, nurses had had to console Staddon Credit: Jon Rowley 8 The prosecution claimed that Gunter's actions were born of frustration, rage and insecurity Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Det Insp Nadine Partridge said: 'I've never, in my 22 years experience seen injuries like this to a child. Advertisement 'It's unimaginable to me, causing harm to a child of any age but a precious two week old premature baby - it will still stay with me for the rest of my life. 'The only comfort I can take out of any of this is that he died very quickly. 'There was nothing the staff could have done. 'You wouldn't imagine something like this happening in a hospital, and it is difficult to explain how it has happened. Advertisement 'But what I can say about the staff, the nurses, the midwives, is they did everything they could to support Sophie and Daniel and Brendon, as did social services. 'Safeguards were put in place around Brendon and you just never would have thought that such significant physical harm would come to a child. 'The individual staff have been absolutely amazing. 'The trauma they must have suffered to be there then and having to try to revive Brandon despite his obvious injuries must have been terrible. Advertisement "It was obvious that he was unlikely to survive, yet they still tried.' She added: 'Gunter always came across as very selfish and self-centered. 'He didn't say anything during the police interview and didn't give evidence at trial. Advertisement 'There was just no emotion from him whatsoever. 'Sophie had many vulnerabilities, and was certainly controlled by him to the point of him telling her what to eat and when to smoke.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dad guilty of murdering premature baby in hospital
Warning: This article contains details that some may find distressing, including details of severe injuries. A father has been found guilty of murdering his two-week old baby on a neonatal ward. Brendon Staddon, who was born prematurely at 33 weeks, suffered multiple injuries including a fractured skull, a broken neck, a broken jaw and broken legs in Yeovil District Hospital's special care baby unit on 5 March 2024. His father Daniel Gunter, 27, of no fixed address, denied harming him, but was convicted of murder at Bristol Crown Court earlier. He will be sentenced on 3 October. Brendon's mother, Sophie Staddon, was acquitted of a lesser charge of causing or allowing the death of a child and was told by the judge she "was free to go". A female juror was visibly upset as the foreman returned the verdicts and as she wiped tears away, she was comforted by two fellow jury members. The defendants showed no emotion as the verdicts were returned. Following the verdict, Brendon's grandfather Simon Gunter said his grandson - who the court was told weighed "less than a couple of bags of sugar" - had been "so tiny, but so beautiful". "As a family, we were so happy and excited," he said, explaining that the family had bought toys and clothes in their excitement for his arrival. "But, we have been robbed of a life of memories of Brendon," he added. "We won't get to see his first steps, hear his first words, take him on his first holiday and see him grow into a young boy then a man. We will never have those memories. They have been taken from us and he will never be replaced. "I hope Daniel gets what he deserves for what he did to Brendon but, whatever the outcome, it will never bring him back." 'Evil' During his short life, nursing staff at the Somerset hospital said they had many concerns about Brendon's parents' behaviour, particularly Gunter's repeated rough handling of him, Bristol Crown Court was told. The jury was told that while in hospital, Gunter repeatedly ignored the advice of nurses, taking Brendon out of the incubator without asking, overstimulating the child to the point of causing him distress, and removing his nasal gastric tube. A medical expert told the trial that Brendon's injuries were consistent with his head being swung against a hard surface "more than once" while he was held by his ankles. Ch Insp Nadine Partridge, of the major crime investigations team at Avon and Somerset Police, said the case was one of the most challenging of her 22-year career as a detective and described Gunter's actions as "evil". She said having to view the post-mortem injuries had been very distressing for investigators. "The extent of the injuries are nothing I've ever seen before. Brendon's little tiny precious body at just two weeks old, there wasn't any part of him that wasn't harmed," she said. The jury heard Gunter was seen getting angry with Brendon while changing his nappy and threatened to make formal complaints about nursing staff when they tried to intervene. Nurses also feared Ms Staddon was being controlled by Gunter because he would speak for her and order her meals, jurors were told. Brendon was born on 20 February, but the couple left the hospital on 29 February and did not return until the afternoon of 4 March. At about 04:00 GMT the following morning, Ms Staddon told nurses she had awoken to find Brendon "cold". Doctors think he would have been dead for at least 30 minutes before the alarm was raised. While doctors tried to resuscitate him, Gunter said he and Ms Staddon were going outside "for air" and they both went to smoke, the court heard. 'No remorse' Neither Gunter or Ms Staddon gave evidence during the trial. Ch Insp Partridge said Gunter had been more concerned about his phone and vape being taken when he was arrested, and had never asked after Brendon. "Daniel's not shown any remorse whatsoever on his arrest or during his police interviews," she said. Following the verdict she added: "Brendon was failed in life. In death, justice is the only protection we can still offer him. "Cases where both the victim and the defendant are related in some way are among the most challenging for us as police. "I would like to firstly give my condolences to Brendon's grandparents and their wider family, who we have supported through specialist family liaison officers." Following the verdict a spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said it has been an "incredibly distressing" case in which its colleagues gave evidence about their interactions with Gunter and Ms Staddon. "We are part of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review, along with other agencies, that will thoroughly examine the circumstances around baby Brendon's death," they added. "It is well underway and will be published in the autumn." Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Related internet links HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Baby murdered by his father in hospital was ‘failed in life'
A two-week-old baby who was 'brutally murdered' by his father was 'failed in life', the officer who led the investigation has said. Brendon Staddon suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of his father, Daniel Gunter, 27, just weeks after he was born, with multiple broken limbs and his skull crushed. Speaking with the PA news agency, Chief Inspector Nadine Partridge, of the major crime investigation team at Avon and Somerset Police, said Brendon had been failed in life and 'the only way not to fail him in death is to get justice for what's happened to him'. She described Brendon's mother, Sophie Staddon, 21, who was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child, as a 'vulnerable young girl' who was controlled by Gunter. Brendon, who was born prematurely at 33 weeks, was found in his hospital cot at the Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset on March 5 last year. While doctors attempted to resuscitate him, Brendon's parents went outside for a cigarette. 'Brendon Staddon was born at just 33 weeks' gestation at Yeovil District Hospital,' Ms Partridge said. 'He lived only two short weeks when he was brutally murdered by his dad, Daniel Gunter, in the hospital. The injuries he sustained were catastrophic. 'He had a shattered skull, he had a broken neck, multiple broken limbs and extensive bruising to his limbs and torso.' She added: 'The extensive injuries caused are something I've never seen before in my 22 years as a detective. 'The brutality of the murder – and to such a young, vulnerable, tiny baby – is not something, thankfully, that happens all too often.' She described Gunter as 'very quick to anger', and controlling and coercive towards his partner. Multiple people have spoken of how he would become violent when frustrated, throwing things. After the birth of his son, Gunter would 'blatantly ignore' the advice of medical staff, causing Brendon distress by jiggling and poking him. 'Despite multiple times being told this, he ignored it, thinking that he knew best,' Ms Partridge said. 'He would dictate what (Staddon) ate, when she smoked, who she spoke to, where she stayed. 'After Brendon was born, social services offered Sophie a placement in a mother and baby unit and, as such, Daniel would not be welcome there and would lose control over Sophie and Brendon. She refused to take up that support.' The officer said the parents had shown little emotion during the trial, but Staddon was visibly distressed when she alerted nursing staff at the hospital that Brendon was cold. 'She was quite visibly upset at that point, bent over hysterically crying in the cot space next to where Brendon lay,' she said. 'He was swiftly taken into the resuscitation room, and after a few minutes, both of them left the unit to go outside. 'We can see that on arrest, on the bodyworn footage, that Sophie is quite visibly upset, and she's crying about her baby being dead.' Ms Partridge thanked the medical staff at the hospital for their work. 'They did everything they could to save Brendon. 'Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and the small comfort I can take is that he wouldn't have suffered for long. 'My thoughts are that Brendon was failed in life, and the only way not to fail him in death is to get justice for what's happened to him.' A child safeguarding and practice review will be held to examine whether there were any missed opportunities to save Brendon and to identify lessons that can be learned.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Baby murdered by his father in hospital was ‘failed in life'
A two-week-old baby who was 'brutally murdered' by his father was 'failed in life', the officer who led the investigation has said. Brendon Staddon suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of his father, Daniel Gunter, 27, just weeks after he was born, with multiple broken limbs and his skull crushed. Speaking with the PA news agency, Chief Inspector Nadine Partridge, of the major crime investigation team at Avon and Somerset Police, said Brendon had been failed in life and 'the only way not to fail him in death is to get justice for what's happened to him'. She described Brendon's mother, Sophie Staddon, 21, who was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child, as a 'vulnerable young girl' who was controlled by Gunter. Brendon, who was born prematurely at 33 weeks, was found in his hospital cot at the Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset on March 5 last year. While doctors attempted to resuscitate him, Brendon's parents went outside for a cigarette. 'Brendon Staddon was born at just 33 weeks' gestation at Yeovil District Hospital,' Ms Partridge said. 'He lived only two short weeks when he was brutally murdered by his dad, Daniel Gunter, in the hospital. The injuries he sustained were catastrophic. 'He had a shattered skull, he had a broken neck, multiple broken limbs and extensive bruising to his limbs and torso.' She added: 'The extensive injuries caused are something I've never seen before in my 22 years as a detective. 'The brutality of the murder – and to such a young, vulnerable, tiny baby – is not something, thankfully, that happens all too often.' She described Gunter as 'very quick to anger', and controlling and coercive towards his partner. Multiple people have spoken of how he would become violent when frustrated, throwing things. After the birth of his son, Gunter would 'blatantly ignore' the advice of medical staff, causing Brendon distress by jiggling and poking him. 'Despite multiple times being told this, he ignored it, thinking that he knew best,' Ms Partridge said. 'He would dictate what (Staddon) ate, when she smoked, who she spoke to, where she stayed. 'After Brendon was born, social services offered Sophie a placement in a mother and baby unit and, as such, Daniel would not be welcome there and would lose control over Sophie and Brendon. She refused to take up that support.' The officer said the parents had shown little emotion during the trial, but Staddon was visibly distressed when she alerted nursing staff at the hospital that Brendon was cold. 'She was quite visibly upset at that point, bent over hysterically crying in the cot space next to where Brendon lay,' she said. 'He was swiftly taken into the resuscitation room, and after a few minutes, both of them left the unit to go outside. 'We can see that on arrest, on the bodyworn footage, that Sophie is quite visibly upset, and she's crying about her baby being dead.' Ms Partridge thanked the medical staff at the hospital for their work. 'They did everything they could to save Brendon. 'Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and the small comfort I can take is that he wouldn't have suffered for long. 'My thoughts are that Brendon was failed in life, and the only way not to fail him in death is to get justice for what's happened to him.' A child safeguarding and practice review will be held to examine whether there were any missed opportunities to save Brendon and to identify lessons that can be learned.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Father found guilty of murdering premature baby son in hospital
A father has been found guilty of murdering his two-week-old son in a special care baby unit. Daniel Gunter, 27, inflicted 'catastrophic injuries' to the head, neck, legs and jaw of Brendon Staddon. Brendon was found in his cot at Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset on March 5 last year. Bristol Crown Court heard that after inflicting the fatal injuries which left his son's head 'crushed', Gunter walked out of the hospital for a cigarette, leaving nurses desperately attempting to resuscitate him. Gunter was convicted of murder following a three-week trial. His former partner, Sophie Staddon, 23, was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child. ADVERTISEMENT A female juror was visibly upset as the foreman returned the verdicts and as she wiped tears away, she was comforted by two fellow jury members. Daniel Gunter will be sentenced on a later date for murdering his baby son Brendon (Avon and Somerset Police/PA) The jury previously found Staddon not guilty of murder and cleared Gunter of causing or allowing the death of a child on the direction of the trial judge, Mr Justice Swift. The defendants showed no emotion as the verdicts were returned. Gunter, of no fixed address, will be sentenced on a date to be fixed. Remanding Gunter into custody, the judge told him: 'Daniel Gunter you have been found guilty of murder. You will be remanded into custody pending the sentencing hearing. 'Sophie Staddon you have been acquitted by the jury. Your bail will no longer be necessary and you are free to go.' The trial heard hospital staff had discovered Brendon's injuries after Staddon told nurses her son was cold and asked them to check on him. ADVERTISEMENT Charles Row KC, prosecuting, said: 'Staff found him lying in his cot with his baby grow open. 'They immediately saw that he wasn't just cold but that he had suffered catastrophic injuries. 'In plain language, his head had been crushed so as to shatter his skull. He was badly bruised from head to toe, with deep scratches in his neck. 'He was later found to have, amongst other injuries, a broken neck, a broken jaw, broken legs, broken ankles and broken wrists.' The prosecution said staff carried his 'limp, lifeless body' to the resuscitation area, but Brendon did not respond to treatment. The jury heard Gunter and Staddon were arrested by the police while smoking Row said before Brendon died, social services and Gunter's family were worried about the 'lack of emotional warmth' the couple showed their child. ADVERTISEMENT When Brendon was born on February 20 2024, attempts were made to persuade Staddon to stay in the hospital, but she went back to the temporary accommodation she shared with Gunter. While in hospital, Gunter repeatedly ignored the advice of nurses, taking Brendon out of the incubator without asking, overstimulating the child to the point of causing him distress, and removing his nasal gastric tube. Family members had witnessed Gunter shouting and getting angry at Brendon while visiting them in hospital and would handle him roughly. Louise Besica, Gunter's aunt, said: 'I felt like he had no patience. He was really rough with him with how he was putting him in his baby grow.' Mr Row said the jury needed to understand the 'sheer brutality' involved in the death. A post-mortem examination found Brendon died of 'blunt force impact(s) head injury' with multiple non-accidental injuries to the head. ADVERTISEMENT The court also heard the pair had an 'on, off' relationship, with Gunter described as being 'violent' towards his partner, controlling her finances and who she could talk to. A social worker visited the couple in January 2024, telling them the authorities were planning to remove the baby from their care when he was born. 'The authorities were concerned about many things, including their precarious housing situation, the way Mr Gunter appeared to control Ms Staddon and her finances, Ms Staddon's physical and mental health and their lack of engagement,' Mr Row said. He told the jury the couple showed no emotion at the news. Gunter told officers: 'At no stage did I do anything to Brendon that could have caused him any injury. 'I was with Sophie the whole time and she didn't do anything either.' In a separate statement, Gunter said: 'I would never hurt my baby boy.' Staddon told police: 'I had done nothing to harm Brendon at all. I love him. He was my everything. I would not have harmed him.' Gunter was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court (Alamy/PA) Following the verdict, Brendon's grandfather Simon Gunter said: '[Brendon] was born early and was so tiny, but so beautiful. He was just perfect. Despite his early arrival, he was a little fighter and proved his strength in the very short life he had. 'As a family, we were so happy and excited. We had bought clothes, toys and supplies in preparation for his arrival and we all had exciting plans for the future. 'But we have been robbed of a life of memories of Brendon. We won't get to see his first steps, hear his first words, take him on his first holiday, and see him grow into a young boy then a man. We will never have those memories. They have been taken from us and he will never be replaced. 'I hope Daniel gets what he deserves for what he did to Brendon but, whatever the outcome, it will never bring him back. 'Today some justice has been served, but we still have many unanswered questions.' Detective Chief Inspector Nadine Partridge, who led the investigation, said: 'The injuries that Brendon sustained were catastrophic and there wasn't a part of his body which wasn't bruised or broken. 'It breaks my heart to see someone do such vicious things to a poor, innocent child who had his whole life ahead of him. 'Brendon was failed in life. In death, justice is the only protection we can still offer him. 'Cases where both the victim and the defendant are related in some way are among the most challenging for us as police. I would like to firstly give my condolences to Brendon's grandparents and their wider family, who we have supported through specialist family liaison officers. 'This investigation has been long and complex, with the involvement of officers from several different departments and professionals from outside agencies. 'I would like to recognise the efforts of everyone involved in this case, it has been a true team effort to bring the case before the courts and I am immensely proud of each and every person involved in this investigation.'
