A thug who left a baby with brain damage then broke into a rival’s home and stabbed him to death has been sentenced to prison.
Ryan Potter had been drinking before he shook the little boy. He had bruises on his face, chest and arm and was seriously ill in hospital.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Potter, accused of the cruel baby attack, entered a father’s home while out on bail and stabbed him in the thigh.
Potter, 24, of Embleton Avenue, South Shields, South Tyneside, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the baby, child cruelty by failing to call an ambulance quickly enough and wounding with intent.
Judge Gavin Doig sentenced him to a total of eight years and three months in prison.
Prosecutor Helen Towers told the court the baby had been taken to hospital and said: “A CT scan showed a subarachnoid haemorrhage, which is bleeding around the brain.”
Ryan Potter, 24, carried out the sickening baby attack before stabbing another man in the thigh
Potter was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court
“There were bruises on the face, chest and right arm, as well as several retinal hemorrhages, i.e. bleeding in the back of the eye.”
The court concluded that the long-term harm caused to the child by the attack remained uncertain.
According to Miss Towers, Potter was out on bail when he forced his way into a rival’s home and stabbed him in the thigh.
The victim said that although he was badly hit by the attack, he did not let it get him down and decided to “get up and carry on.”
In a victim impact statement, he added: “I don’t hate or fear him, on the contrary, I feel sorry for him because he has ruined his life so much.”
The man said Potter’s behavior was “cowardly.”
Defence lawyer Sue Hirst said Potter had suffered mental health problems, was “horrified” by his own actions and had matured.
Potter claims he shook the baby “out of frustration” after drinking but was not drunk.
Miss Hirst told the court: “He feels deeply remorseful.”
“There’s probably nothing the court could say that could make him worse off than he already is.”
