Man convicted of killing baby daughter at Clarkston home

But a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh found him guilty on a majority verdict of a reduced charge of culpable homicide against his daughter. He was also convicted of the murder attempt on a boy in 2013.

Ruddock, now of Springhill Gardens, Shawlands, Glasgow, was caught after police, tipped off by medics, launched an investigation shortly after the second infant's injuries were discovered.

Ruddock denied any wrongdoing and claimed to be a doting father. His wife Wendy told the court she did not believe her husband was capable of hurting their daughter.

But following a seven-week long trial, a jury concluded that Ruddock had killed Olivia.

Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentence so the court could obtain reports about his background. The judge remanded Ruddock, who had been on bail, in custody.

Lord Bannatyne told jurors: "A trial of the type which you have sat through must have been harrowing.

"There are few circumstances more tragic than the death of a child."

On various occasions between January and March in 2011, Ruddock repeatedly shook his defenceless daughter, causing her to suffer extensive rib and head injuries.

He went on to attack another child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an address in Glasgow two years ago. He caused the boy to suffer a fractured skull and fractured ribs.

Ruddock's wife Wendy, 37, told the court that she did not believe her husband had done anything wrong.

The financial services worker told defence advocate Donald Findlay QC: "I have never believed the allegations.

"I don't believe he would hurt children - never, no way."

She also told the court that she believed the period of time spent waiting for the trial to commence had caused her marriage to come to an end.

Ruddock denied deliberately harming Olivia. He told the court that what happened when Olivia fell unwell on March 6, 2011 was "mainly a blur."

His wife said he had got up to feed Olivia but she had become unwell, prompting him to shout for his wife to phone an ambulance.

Mrs Ruddock, who also works in financial services, said her husband performed CPR on Olivia "as best he could".

The five-week-old was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, Glasgow, where she died.

Two years after Olivia's death, Ruddock targeted another child at an address in Glasgow. The court heard how he seized the child and inflicted blunt force trauma to his head and body.

The boy was rushed to hospital and medics found he had several injuries to his head and body.

The youngster has since recovered.

The court heard that police launched an investigation into Ruddock shortly after medical staff treated his second victim.

Consultant radiologist Greg Irwin,48, told the court that there was "incontrovertible" evidence that Olivia had sustained three fractured ribs prior to her death. He also said that she had another eight "probable" fractured ribs.

The court heard how when Olivia died, he and a colleague who studied scans of the little girl's rib cage did not find these injuries. Doctors at that time concluded that Olivia died from bronchial pneumonia.

Sentence was deferred on Ruddock until later this month at the High Court in Glasgow.

Detective Chief Inspector Maxine Martin said: "Olivia was a beautiful five-week old baby and it’s difficult to understand how anyone could harm a defenceless child, let alone her father, who should have been there to protect her.

“This investigation was particularly challenging for all of the officers and medical staff involved. It was not only a complex and protracted investigation but it was also emotional and distressing for everyone involved.

“Officers worked closely with specialist health and social work staff to piece together the medical evidence, lifestyle factors, telecommunications analysis and intelligence information to establish how Olivia was killed and to bring her father Ian Ruddock to justice."