Father, 27, convicted of manslaughter over death of his six-month-old baby

A FATHER whose six-month-old son died from “catastrophic” injuries, including bleeding to his brain, has been convicted of manslaughter.

Ricky Walker, 27, was cleared of murder and child cruelty after telling jurors he believed a foldedup hoodie he used to “prop-feed” Kayden Walker may have suffocated him.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court convicted Kayden’s mother, 25-year-old Laura Davies, of allowing Kayden’s death. A monthlong trial heard allegations that Kayden was subjected to cruelty which led to an earlier head injury, several weeks before his death on June 12, 2016.

The infant went into cardiac arrest at his home in Bilston, and was pronounced dead in hospital an hour after Walker dialled 999.

Opening the Crown’s case at the start of the trial, prosecutor David Mason QC alleged that Walker had previously joked about how long it would take his son to suffocate when a hoodie covered his face.

Walker, who had a small level of cannabis in his blood at the time of the death, told his trial he could be “heavy-handed” but denied fatally shaking the child.

Adjourning the case, trial judge Mr Justice Morris said: “Mr Walker, I will sentence you (today). You have been convicted of manslaughter and you will be facing a custodial sentence. But I am going to grant you bail overnight to give you the chance to spend some time with your family. You have attended promptly throughout (the trial) and you have not breached the trust.”