Father's phone searches revealed his growing frustration before he killed baby son

Peter Sayle (Lancashire Constabulary/PA) PA Media

A father has been jailed for nine years and 11 months after admitting he violently shook his six-week-old son to death when his frustration "boiled over." Peter Sayle, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Preston Crown Court, ending more than three years of denial about what happened to baby Huxley.

The infant died on July 14, 2022, a month after Sayle shook him at their home in Fulwood, Preston. Huxley never regained consciousness after the violent assault on June 14, 2022. His mother, Livinia Sharples, dialed 999 after finding her son not breathing in the early hours.

Evidence revealed frustration

Police recovered mobile phone searches Sayle made before Huxley's collapse. The searches included phrases like "am I being too rough with my newborn," "I get frustrated with my baby at night," and "new father frustration." One search read: "my girlfriend keeps telling me I'm doing everything wrong with baby."

A CT scan at Royal Preston Hospital revealed bleeding in different parts of Huxley's brain, indicating a shaking-type injury. The baby was transferred to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, where a post-mortem examination later confirmed a traumatic head injury caused by forceful gripping and violent shaking.

Judge's statement

Mr Justice Bryan told Sayle during sentencing: «I am satisfied, so that I am sure, that whilst you were downstairs with Huxley, you violently shook him as your frustration and anger at his crying, and your inability to settle him, boiled over. [...] Such frustration boiled over to anger on the night of 14 June 2022 when, whilst in sole charge of Huxley in the living room of your home, you shook him forcefully, causing the significant numbers of very serious injuries from which Huxley could not, and did not, recover.»

Sayle initially denied causing harm to his son. He only pleaded guilty to manslaughter five days into his murder trial, having maintained his denial for over three and a half years.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).