A father who killed his seven-week-old son has been jailed for 12 years.

Brian Penn was convicted following a trial of inflicting blunt force trauma on Kaleb Penn’s head and body and compressing his body in 2017.

The baby was so left severely injured in the attack at a property in Ayr, Scotland, that he died two days later at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

The 30-year-old was also found guilty of assaulting his son to severe injury and to the danger of his life on various occasions between 13 and 31 October in the same year.

The former soldier had lodged a defence of incrimination, blaming the child’s mother for Kaleb’s death.

He was sentenced to 12 years behind bars when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, appearing by video link from prison.

Sentencing Penn, Lord Weir said: “The nature of these offences and the circumstances of their infliction against a vulnerable baby now lost forever to his wider family fully justify a significant sentence.”

He said Kaleb received the “very antithesis” of the care expected and “his life was instead cut short at seven weeks”.

Brian McConnachie QC, representing Penn, said he was a first offender who had so far lived his life as a useful member of society, served in the armed forces, and had a “good work ethic and was trying to support his family”.

He said the reasons for what happened will never be known.

Related posts:

‘Sign of national identity’: Union flag to be flown on all UK government buildings every day NHS Hospital that upgraded COVID staff’s face masks ‘cut ward-based infection to zero’ 375,000 school pupils absent over COVID – highest number since children returned in March GB runner investigated after claiming he faked PCR test to fly home Ex-Paralympian convicted of causing public nuisance after gluing himself to plane Sarah Everard’s killer to appeal whole life sentence Labour leader Keir Starmer tests positive for COVID Man arrested over threatening and abusive communications sent to Labour deputy leader Five suspects arrested after man found stabbed in house and three others in street Barcodes added to stamps allowing people to watch videos or see messages from senders Steep rise in COVID cases as reinfections included for first time since start of pandemic BA jet forced to abort landing at windy Heathrow