BY WILMA RILEY
A MAN has admitted killing a 15-week-old baby boy by shaking him in a fit of anger.
Paul Burgess, 25, caused fatal brain injuries to Zaiidyn Burke during the assault at a property in the town.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that while the baby’s parents Jade Caven and Lee Burke were at the stricken child’s hospital bedside, Burgess went to a Hallowe’en party dressed in a costume and then went out drinking.
Zaiidyn died two days later, on October 29 2012, after his parents agreed to take him off a life-support system.
Burgess, of Galloway Street, Dumfries, was originally charged with murder but admitted the culpable homicide of Zaiidyn at the property in Sunderries Avenue, Dumfries.
The court heard he was left in charge of the baby for just over an hour between 1.20pm and 2.30pm on October 27, 2012, while Miss Caven took a four-year-old girl to hospital after she fell and struck her head on a table.
Advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, said: “The accused was left to care for the baby, including giving him a feed.
“When Miss Caven returned at 2.30pm, Burgess seemed nervous. Jaiidyn was in his chair. The accused indicated a full bottle of milk on a table, explaining the baby had only taken a few mouthfuls.
“He went on to say the baby had choked a little, but he had patted his back and ‘sorted it’ before putting him in the bouncy chair.”
Miss Caven was surprised as he was normally good at feeding. She looked at her son and saw his lips and face were turning blue and he appeared completely lifeless.
Miss Caven picked up her son and gently shook him, but there was no response.
Zaiidyn was rushed to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and then transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill in Glasgow but died two days later.
The court was told that a CT scan of the baby’s head and spine showed the type of brain injury caused in baby-shaking cases.
A consultant opthalmologist who examined the baby at Yorkhill confirmed the presence of haemorrhages in the eyes suggestive of a shaken baby.
He said that the extent and degree of the haemorrhaging was the worst he had seen since qualifying as a doctor in 1993.
Mr McSporran told the court: “There was no evidence that would explain the sudden change in the baby’s health that afternoon.
“He had been healthy and alert when left in the sole care of the accused – and [was] unresponsive an hour later.
“The Crown accepts the accused, for some reason as yet unknown, but most probably associated with difficulty feeding the baby, suffered a loss of temper and shook him with sufficient force to cause fatal brain injuries.”
Judge Lord Boyd deferred sentence until next month and remanded Burgess in custody.
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