Tony Bartlett murdered his four-week-old son after drinking 8.5 pints of lager.
A father who fatally shook his four-week-old son while in a drunken rage has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years.
Tony Bartlett, 39, of Axminster, Devon, was convicted of murdering Atticus Bartlett following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Atticus, who weighed just 4.38kg when he died, suffered severe injuries at his home in Chard, Somerset, on July 16 2022.
Mr Justice Cavanagh jailed Bartlett, formerly a postman, for life and ordered him to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison.
The judge described how Bartlett had drunk eight-and-a-half pints of lager while on a date night with Atticus’s mother before they returned home.
“I have no doubt that this terrible tragedy would not have happened if you were not so intoxicated,” the judge told Bartlett.
“You were feeding him with a bottle. Atticus was slightly unsettled and was not feeding well. He was bringing up milk.
“In your drunken state, Atticus’s inability to take the bottle as well as you thought he should enraged you.
“You had a sudden fit of anger. You vented that anger on your tiny baby son.
“You shook him very violently indeed, gripping him very tightly around his ribcage.
“This only lasted a few seconds or at most a minute or so. Just in that brief moment, you wanted to cause Atticus serious injury.
“As suddenly as you began, you stopped, your anger evaporated, and then you dozed off.”
Bartlett had gone to a pub and comedy club with Atticus’s mother Evelyn Ballentyne that evening while Atticus was cared for by his grandparents.
After returning home, Ms Ballentyne went upstairs to change and take off her make-up before coming back downstairs just two or three minutes later to take over with Atticus for the night.
By that point, Atticus had been fatally injured. The baby was grey, lying face down on Bartlett’s lap as he slept.
Emergency services were called and Atticus was taken to to Musgrove Park Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
His brain damage was so severe he did not regain consciousness or breathe for himself.
Following medical tests, Atticus was taken off life support and died just before midnight on July 23 2022.
The judge told Bartlett that medical experts agreed Atticus died from hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage, resulting from the baby being shaken while being tightly held around his chest – causing fractures to his ribs.
“The experts said that a severe degree of force would have been required to inflict these injuries on a baby of Atticus’s age,” he added.
“Nobody is more vulnerable and reliant on others than a one-month-old baby. He could not stand up for himself.
“As Atticus’s father, you were one of the two people, above anyone else, to whom he was entitled to look for love and protection. Atticus was in your sole care when you assaulted him.”
The judge told Bartlett it was possible that he did not recall exactly what he had done to his son, given his “drunken state” at the time.
Prosecuting, Charles Row KC said the injuries suffered by Atticus were associated with “vigorous shaking”, with his rib fractures caused by “gripping and squeezing”.
He told the court that Bartlett had one previous conviction from September 2020, for offences of using violence to enter premises and criminal damage, relating to his former partner.
In a victim personal statement, Ms Ballentyne described how she had been left with “severe anxiety” following Atticus’s death.
“I will never know what kind of person Atticus would have become,” she said.
“I will never see him hit milestones. I will never see him go to school. I will never see him grow up and have a family of his own.”
She continued: “Who plans their baby’s funeral? Who goes to the chapel of rest?
“I had to wait 11 hours and 18 minutes for Atticus to die. It was horrendous. I was scared to go out, I was scared to stay in.
“I don’t enjoy any moments because I have a dead son. It is mentally and emotionally draining all the time. It is awful.”
Her mother Rachel Donovan told the court how she wondered what Atticus would look like now and what toys he would like to play with.
“I’m glad I had Atticus that night. He was loved and cuddled and had a lovely night with us,” she said.
“I just hope and pray he never knew what happened to him.”
Representing Bartlett, Nigel Power KC said his client had previously been a “good and caring parent” to his son.
“This is not a case where there is intention to kill or premeditation,” Mr Power said.
Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Sarah Bowden of Avon and Somerset Police paid tribute to the “dignity and courage” shown by Atticus’s family.
“This is a devastating case in which a very young baby has lost his life as the direct result of a cruel act by a man who was supposed to provide him with the protection and care he needed,” she said.
“The loss of Atticus has had a profound effect on all those who loved him.”
