Father murdered baby in fit of temper

A FATHER who violently threw his crying baby daughter on to the sofa in a fit of temper has been convicted of her murder.

John Burrill, 31, admitted his actions led to two-monthold Daisy-Mae suffering a fractured skull and brain damage, but he denied intending to kill or at least cause really serious harm to her at the family home in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

However, a jury at Preston Crown Court disagreed and unanimously found him guilty after just over an hour of deliberations.

The court had heard Burrill’s then partner Ashlee Cox, mother of Daisy-Mae, described him as “moody” when he got up to feed her in the early hours of March 11 at their home in Warren Street.

Burrill told the court the baby had gone back to sleep by the time he got downstairs but began to cry again, so he picked her up.

He then admitted he lost his temper “quite a lot” and added: “I think the tiredness just took over and I really lost my rag and I threw her down on to the couch.”

Speaking after the verdict, Miss Cox said: “Daisy-Mae was taken from us at nine weeks old. She was a beautiful baby girl and a much-loved new addition to the family.

“Words cannot express the pain and anguish my family and I have endured since Daisy-Mae’s death. This suffering has been made worse by John Burrill’s refusal to admit that he alone was responsible for her death.”

Burrill will be sentenced today.