A BRIDGWATER man has been jailed after shaking a six-month-old baby so viciously he was left with life-changing injuries.

Pople, 29, of Bath Road in Bridgwater, was jailed this afternoon at Taunton Crown Court for four and a half years for the attack.

The court heard that on the night of November 17, 2015, Pople had been out drinking following the funeral of his close cousin.

William Hunter, prosecuting, said Pople returned to his home where he was living with his partner and her six-month-old baby and quickly lost his temper, getting into an argument with her.

The court heard that his partner left the house in fear of Pople and phoned his family to try and get his sister to come over and calm him down.

Minutes later Pople came downstairs holding the limp baby and tried to flag down a car to take to hospital, the court heard.

Mr Hunter said the baby was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital by Pople’s sister, and received urgent treatment and doctors managed to save his life.

However, he suffered an extremely severe brain injury and a fractured skull, he has a severe visual impairment and active epilepsy, and is now fed via a gastrostomy tube.

He was found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial at Taunton Crown Court.

Sentencing Judge David Evans said: “You have destroyed his life, who will bear the burden of looking after in the state that you have reduced him to. Your partner will, not you.

“You are an arrogant and self-centred man who will not acknowledged his own flaws.”

"You vented your rage and frustration on objects, furniture and most awfully on him.

"You must completely have lost control. You shook him with appalling force and fractured his skull."

The boy's parents have spoken out at their pain following the assault.

In her statement the boy's mother said: "My son’s life has been changed forever. My life has been changed forever. I cannot put into words the devastation this has caused us.

"I wish I could turn back time but I can’t. I wish I could go back to a time when he was a ‘normal, healthy, happy little baby, but I can’t. I will never get my little boy back.

"I wish I could turn back time but I can’t. I wish I could go back to a time when he was a ‘normal, healthy, happy little baby, but I can’t. I will never get my little boy back" - victim's mother.

"He will never be able to tell me how he is feeling and that he loves me. He will never be able to ask what happened to him. However, as long as he’s in my care I will care for him and make sure he is never hurt again."

She added: "I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that his life span will be short and so I want to make the most of the limited time that we have. No one can describe the pain of knowing that your child will die before you."

The boy's father added in a separate statement: "Due to the horrific injuries inflicted on my son he will never be able to do the same things that other children take for granted such as walking and talking and I will never be able to enjoy the normal things that a father would want to do with his son."