Father jailed over baby's murder

Craig Goddard dropped the child down the stairs

A father who dropped his baby boy down the stairs causing a fatal head injury has been jailed for life.

Alfie Goddard was just three-months-old when he died at Sheffield Children's Hospital in May 2008 from head injuries and impacting on the floor.

His 24-year-old father, Craig Goddard, admitted murder and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court.

Craig Goddard, who will serve at least 11 years, had anger management issues and got frustrated, the court heard.

Details of the child's death were outlined in court by prosecuting barrister Simon Jackson QC.

I just got frustrated, I didn't mean to hurt him Craig Goddard

Mr Jackson said Goddard gave differing accounts to police officers about how his son had died.

In one interview he said: "Alfie must have fallen down the stairs when I had blacked out at the top of the stairs and Alfie must have gone down the stairs."

In a further interview, Goddard said he did not mean to do anything and the youngster would not settle. "I just got frustrated, I didn't mean to hurt him.

"I've just got this anger thing, I didn't mean to hurt him. I just lost my temper."

Mr Jackson told the court that in later interviews Goddard accepted being responsible for Alfie's death.

He said: "He rocked him too hard and too fast and squeezed him too hard because of the pain he felt in his head. He dropped Alfie in shock when he realised how hard he was squeezing."

Mr Jackson said Goddard had claimed to have been in a bad mood all day and was frustrated when his son would not settle.

Goddard accepted that his earlier account of not intending to hurt the baby was untrue, he added.

The boy's mother, Lindsay Harris, 19, has already admitting perverting the course of justice.

Harris had lied about finding the child at the bottom of the stairs in order to try and protect Craig Goddard, the court heard.

The local authority where Alfie lived has come under fire in recent days after it emerged that seven youngsters have died in the area since late 2004 in cases involving abuse or neglect.

Serious case reviews have been commissioned to find out what mistakes were made in each incident.

The death of Alfie, who came from the Toll Bar area of Doncaster, is one of the cases being looked into.