Man Who Threw Baby at TV in Fit of Frustration, Causing ‘Catastrophic Injuries,’ Learns Fate

A British man convicted of inflicting “catastrophic injuries” on his baby daughter after throwing her at a television last year has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The sentence was handed down at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, Jan. 12, according to the BBC, the Liverpool Echo and Wales Online.

Rhydian Lynne Rhys Jamieson, 28, received the term after pleading guilty last April, the Echo reported.

According to the BBC, the attack left the infant with a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, and extensive cuts and bruising — injuries that will require lifelong medical care.

In court, the child’s mother addressed Jamieson directly, condemning the violence and describing the lasting impact on their family. The mother was not publicly identified, the BBC reported.

“You’re nothing but a spiteful, disgusting person,” she said, according to the BBC. “The impact on my child will last for the rest of my life. I’ll never understand what you were thinking. It doesn’t matter how long you’ll get because it will never be enough.”

Prosecutors told the court that Jamieson had “snapped” before violently attacking his daughter.

Jamieson did not attend the sentencing hearing, and Judge Paul Thomas KC criticized his absence, calling him a “coward,” according to the BBC.

“You threw the baby with great force at the television,” the judge said, addressing Jamieson in his absence. “It was a fit of uncontrolled temper. You did not even bother to check whether the baby was alive. It was an act of the most horrendous callousness and self-interest. The child has irreversible brain damage. You have no remorse, no regret, for what you did.”

The BBC also reported that shortly after the incident, Jamieson sent a series of apologetic messages to the girl’s mother, acknowledging he had harmed their child.

“I’m sorry for what I’ve done,” one message read, according to the BBC.

“I’m scared. I think I’ve killed someone,” another message reportedly said.

“I’m going to be on the news,” a third text read, per the outlet.

Jamieson must serve two-thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for parole, according to Wales Online.

Outside the courthouse, Dyfed-Powys Police detective chief inspector Gary Williams described the case as an extreme act of violence against a defenseless infant.

“This was an appalling act of violence towards a defenseless baby — his own daughter — who had been left in Jamieson’s care,” Williams said, according to Wales Online. “We still do not know what made him act in this way — what made him ‘snap’, to use his own word — but even if he had revealed the catalyst for this vile behavior, it would in no way make it excusable.”