A BARNSLEY man has been sentenced to nine years in jail after admitting the manslaughter of his eight-week-old son.
Cody Shields-Holman suffered ‘fatal head injuries’ at a house in Bamford, Derbyshire, and was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital on June 27, 2019 - he died two days later.
Anton Shields, 39, of Hardwick Crescent in Athersley South, was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with murder, a charge he denied.
Just a day before his trial was set to begin, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
This plea was accepted and the murder charge was dropped after detailed discussions between Cody’s family, prosecutors and the police.
Shields was sentenced to nine years in jail at Derby Crown Court today (Tuesday, October 13).
Detective inspector Steve Bruce, who led the police investigation into the baby’s death, said: “My thoughts on this extremely difficult day go to Cody’s mother and family, whose lives were shattered by the actions of Anton Shields in those 15 minutes.
“Only Shields knows what truly happened in those moments, but what we do know is that Cody was assaulted to such an extent that he suffered fatal head injuries.”
