A father from West Wales has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the attempted murder of his infant daughter, whom he threw at a television in a fit of uncontrollable rage.
A Brutal and Callous Assault
The horrific incident took place at a property in Y Ferwig, Ceredigion, on January 15 last year. Rhydian Jamieson, 28, from Cwm Cou, Newcastle Emlyn, hurled the baby girl before leaving the scene without checking on her condition.
Emergency services rushed the child to Glangwili Hospital before she was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for specialist care. Doctors discovered she had suffered bleeding on the brain, a fractured skull, and severe bruising.
Life-Long Consequences and a Lack of Remorse
The court heard that the assault has left the baby with devastating, permanent injuries. These include severe physical and intellectual disabilities, vision problems, lifelong epileptic fits, and developmental setbacks consistent with cerebral palsy.
At Swansea Crown Court, Judge Paul Thomas KC condemned Jamieson's actions as an 'act of horrendous callousness and self-interest'. He noted the defendant showed 'not a scintilla of true remorse' for his crime.
Jamieson, who had pleaded guilty to attempted murder in April of the previous year, later tried to retract his plea. He refused to cooperate with pre-sentence reports and had previously attempted to blame a family member for the child's catastrophic injuries.
A Pattern of Behaviour and Family Anguish
The judge described Jamieson as being 'consumed purely by self-pity'. The defendant's criminal record includes previous convictions for driving offences, criminal damage, common assault, stalking, and public disorder.
In harrowing impact statements, the child's family branded Jamieson a 'pathetic man-child who wanted to inflict pain on an innocent child' and a 'disgusting person'. Jamieson declined to appear at his sentencing hearing, insisting he had been wrongly charged.
Judge Thomas handed down the lengthy 35-year sentence, reflecting the extreme brutality of the crime and its lifelong impact on the innocent victim.
