A YOUNG father who squeezed his seven-week-old baby son to death when he would not stop crying has been jailed for five years.

Andrew Parry, 23, placed both his hands around the abdomen of young Andrew Mottershaw and squeezed so hard for a number of seconds that the baby's liver ruptured.

Preston Crown Court heard that Parry, of Hamilton Street, Blackburn, had been left to care for Andrew while his girlfriend went for a job interview.

But after being fed and changed, Andrew began crying constantly and Parry lost his self-control and killed him.

The court heard that when first interviewed about Andrew's death, Parry constantly lied, firstly claiming that the injuries had been caused by clumsy resuscitation after he found the baby unconscious.

He then changed his story, saying he had dropped Andrew by accident on the stairs.

But eventually Parry owned up, admitting he had squeezed the son he deeply loved because he had lost his self control.

Parry denied murdering Andrew but admitted the alternative charge of manslaughter.

Mr Rodney Klevan QC, prosecuting, said the Crown had given the case anxious consideration but had accepted the plea due to the lack of intent by Parry to kill the baby.

He told the court that Parry had met his girlfriend, Amanda Mottershaw, in the autumn of 1993 and had lived together in Hamilton Street since early last year.

Andrew was born on August 25 last year and although premature, had no aliments or medical problems.

On October 24, Miss Mottershaw went for a job interview, leaving Parry in the sole charge of Andrew.

Mr Klevan said :"Apparantly the baby having been changed and fed, started crying constantly, not an uncommon situation.

"There is no doubt that Parry lost his self control and lost his temper in a serious way. He clearly hit the baby and either squeezed him with such force that the liver split, or pressed on the child so heavily with his hands so to achieve the same result."

A pathologist found that the cause of death was hemorrhaging in the abdominal cavity due to a rupture of the liver.

The severity of the squeezing was such that imprints of the baby's clothing was found on his body.

Mr Richard Henriques QC, defending, said Parry "deeply loved" Andrew and had first lied to police and girlfriend because he was so ashamed of his actions.

In a conference before coming into court, Mr Henriques said Parry had told him: "My only thoughts were 'Please stop crying.'

"I just lost my control. I cannot exactly remember what I did."

Passing sentence, Mr Justice McKinnon told Parry: "It was a bad case of manslaughter because you used severe force when squeezing the baby's stomach area, using both your thumbs.

"The baby was crying and would not stop. You lost your self control and you also hit your young baby a number of blows."

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