British father jailed for life for killing 4-week-old son after drinking eight pints

Tony Bartlett, 39, was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years for murdering his 4-week-old son Atticus in July 2022 in Chard, Somerset.

Atticus died from catastrophic head and spinal injuries comparable to those from high-speed road traffic collisions, caused by a violent assault after Bartlett consumed 8.5 pints of beer.

Bartlett was left alone with the baby while the mother, Evelyn Ballentyne, went upstairs; she returned to find Atticus limp and unresponsive.

Bartlett claimed he only rubbed the baby's back, patted him, and bounced him on his knee to relieve trapped wind, but a jury convicted him of murder.