Man jailed for causing son's brain damage in Blackpool

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37474616

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A father whose drunken attack left his newborn son with severe brain damage has been jailed.

Tomasz Raszkiewicz "forcibly lunged" at Lucasz Gal's mother as she held him in her arms, causing the baby to fracture his skull on a door.

Lucasz' "catastrophic" injuries mean he will have "no quality of life", Preston Crown Court heard.

Raszkiewicz, 33, admitted wounding or inflicting GBH with intent and was jailed for three years and two months.

The court heard Raszkiewicz was on the run from Polish authorities at the time of the attack on 22 November.

'Cowardly behaviour'

His name had not been included on Lucasz's birth certificate as part of his efforts to evade capture.

The court heard Raszkiewicz did not go to hospital with his son but left the couple's flat in Blackpool before his arrest three days later.

Sentencing, Judge Heather Lloyd told him: "You then lied and said this was a terrible accident. That was cowardly behaviour."

'Life-changing injuries'

The court heard Lucasz's mother Jadwiga Gal gave the police five accounts as to how her son sustained his injuries, and it was the testimony of the boy's uncle which brought the case to court.

Judge Lloyd told Raszkiewicz his actions had resulted in "catastrophic, life-changing injuries".

"Such was the severity... a piece of his skull was embedded in his brain.

"He only survived as a result of the skill of the surgeons," she said.

The judge also criticised the boy's mother for choosing to protect Raszkiewicz rather than her baby boy.

'Defenceless baby'

"Lucasz will never life a normal life... and be dependent on others for the rest of his life," she said.

Raszkiewicz will be deported upon his release from prison, the court heard.

Det Sgt Chris Williams of Lancashire Police said Raszkiewicz had shown "no remorse" or "regard for the safety and welfare of this defenceless baby, who should have been safe in the arms of his mother".