Laurence Dollimore
A MENTALLY ill father has been sentenced to 23 years after suffocating his baby son.
The unnamed man was found guilty by a jury in Cadiz, who accepted his guilty by insanity plea.
The Jerez man will spend the 23 years, four months and 15 days in a special correctional facility which can treat his ‘psychiatric illness’, the court heard.
On June 1, 2017, at 6:30am, the man was in bed with his partner and baby son, for whom they had not yet put up the crib.
The court heard how, ‘with the intention of ending his son’s life,’, the man ‘covered the tot’s nose and mouth.’
His partner, who is deaf and mute, managed to notice what her partner was doing and tried to save the baby.
The man savagely beat her before hugging the baby tightly into his chest until he stopped breathing.
He dropped and left the boy on the floor.
A neighbour heard loud bangs coming from the home and immediately called police, who were greeted at the door by the father, who said: “I know what I have done.”
At the time of the murder, the man allegedly believed that he had received messages on his phone telling him ‘he had to suffocate the baby’ and that ‘the Apocalypse will soon arrive.’
Authorities believe he showed genuine symptoms of a serious psychiatric disorder, including hallucinations and delusions.
The baby was just nine months old.
The father is also banned from coming within 200 metres of his ex-partner for at least 10 years, and five years after he is released.
He must also pay €87,900 for the emotional damage caused by the death of his son and €626 for the injuries sustained by his wife.
