A dad has been jailed for life over the murder of his baby son Abel-Jax Mailey.
Oliver Mailey, 26, was handed a minimum sentence of 16 years at Preston Crown Court before he will be eligible to apply for parole. Handing the sentence, Justice Cotter said Mailey had 'lied to save his own skin', effectively placing himself before his seriously injured baby.
On November 27, Mailey was looking after the seven-week-old baby while his partner, Mollie Gorton, was out working at Turf Moor FC. However, before she managed to arrive at work, Mailey video-called her, informing her that "Abel's gone weird", Lancashire Live reports.
When Mailey turned the camera onto Abel, Ms Gorton saw that the baby boy was limp on his father's lap. She quickly told Mailey to call for an ambulance.
Mailey insisted the baby went limp after a feed, which he also told emergency services. While Ms Gorton ran home from work, Mailey was directed to carry out CPR on Abel with paramedics soon arriving.
Abel was rushed to Royal Blackburn Hospital where Mailey continued to deny any involvement in Abel's injuries when questioned by Mollie. The baby boy was transferred to Manchester Children's Hospital in critical condition, however, he tragically died three days later.
Mailey and his partner were arrested on suspicion of GBH and later murder following Abel's death. On December 2022, Mailey admitted to manslaughter.
Ms Gorton also faced investigation from officers for two weeks until they established that she wasn't at home when Abel sustained his injuries. A post-mortem revealed that Abel died from catastrophic head injuries and revealed fractured ribs which had been broken in the weeks leading up to his death.
Mailey, of Piccadilly Road, Burnley, later admitted to shaking Abel on at least two occasions before his death on November 30, 2021. He said he did not thing the shaking would cause serious harm to the baby boy.
In the week between the two incidents, the family's health visitor voiced their concerns to both parents about the dangers of shaking a baby during a routine visit to the home. The court head how Mailey was a landscaper and regularly used cannabis.
Sentencing, Justice Cotter said there was nothing unusual of note about Abel's behaviour which would have led to Mailey's actions. He highlighted that Mailey may have been exhausted and suffering dental pain, however, such pain persisted for years before Avel was born and that waking in the night was 'part and parcel of having a new baby'.
He said: "The evidence before this court showed Mollie to be a loving and devoted mother. Your actions caused her to lose her beloved son.
"Her family was blown to pieces. She left home to go to work and returned to what would be a living nightmare for any mother. She had to plan her baby's funeral alone while under suspicion of murder."
The judge ruled that Mailey must serve at least 16 years before he can apply for parole. Despite this, it will be up to the parole board to decide whether he will be released by that point or not.
Mailey will remain on licence for the rest of his life.
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