A father accused of inflicting brain injuries through shaking his son as a baby, and which were said to have resulted in his death 12 years later, has been acquitted of manslaughter. He was represented by Anya Lewis as junior counsel at the Central Criminal Court.
The injuries had been sustained in 1998 when the boy was five weeks old. The father admitted causing grievous bodily harm in 2009, and served a 12-month prison sentence. When the child died in 2011, the father was charged with manslaughter.
This case represents the longest gap on record between injuries being sustained and death occurring. Prior to 1996, manslaughter charges could only be brought if death occurred within a year and a day of the original assault.
Anya Lewis acted for the defendant. She was led by Adrian Waterman QC, and instructed by Jenny Wiltshire at Hickman and Rose.
The case has been widely reported in the media, including by the BBC, STV, the Guardian, The Telegraph and the Daily Mirror.
Anya Lewis is a member of the Garden Court Crime Team, and has a particular specialism in defending cases involving charges of non-accidental head injury.
