A dad whose cold sore kiss led to the death of his baby boy launched a brutal assault on his ex-partner after turning to drink and drugs following the tragedy. Carl MacLaren blamed himself after his two-month-old son Kaiden died of multiple organ failure in 2012.
The premature infant's death was the result of herpes simplex virus, which the parent had accidentally passed on when he kissed him with a cold sore. A court heard on Wednesday, October 5, that the 44-year-old had struggled to come to terms with the youngster's death, whose life support system was switched off after six weeks in hospital.
MacLaren had started drinking heavily again during the first coronavirus lockdown, which eventually led to the breakdown of his relationship with his partner and children’s mum, Marie Clare McCormick. After their 12-year relationship ended earlier this year, the defendant broke into her home while she was upstairs in bed on the afternoon on May 11, the Liverpool Echo reports.
She started to panic after hearing banging downstairs, with Maclaren then entering her room and shouting that she was “a s**g”. He also accused her of being with someone else, prosecutor Paul Blasbery told Liverpool Crown Court.
He held her by the hair with one hand and began punching her with his other hand causing her to fall to the floor. She instinctively rolled herself into a ball to try to protect herself and he stamped on her in the direction of her face and head.
Mr Blasbery said: “She was screaming for help and she was terrified the assault would not stop and genuinely thought she was going to be killed.” He left the property in Swifts Lane, Netherton, shouting, “Watch, I’m going to get those kids taken off you”.
She waited a while before going downstairs and on seeing her bloodied face, asked a friend to collect her children from school so they did not see her injuries and then rang the police. At 4.45pm while she was waiting for the police, Maclaren came back smelling strongly of alcohol and slurring his words saying he was sorry, said Mr Blasbery. Maclaren was then arrested.
Jailing 44-year-old Maclaren for three years the judge, Recorder Nicola Daley said he had violated the safety of the victim’s home by breaking in through a window. She said that while she was lying on the floor trying to protect herself he “stamped on her repeatedly and punched her."
She was screaming for help and was terrified that the assault would not stop. Recorder Daley said that when the police arrived they could see the pattern of his trainers on her where he had stamped on her.
In an impact statement the mum-of-three, who was left with painful bruises and reddening, told how she had been left feeling paranoid. The judge said that the tragic death of his young son “featured in the argument that day but that did not give you justification for what you did".
Maclaren, of Hicks Road, Seaforth, pleaded guilty to burglary and attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on 37-year-old Ms McCormick. The judge imposed a five year restraining order.
Jeremy Rawson, defending, said the death of the defendant’s son received publicity including in a magazine and on daytime tv and he spiralled down into the use of drugs and alcohol. He has two previous convictions involving violence but had never received a jail sentence.
He added that Maclaren is remorseful, and while on remand has applied for two jobs in prison. Mr Rawson said: "He says he is not going to drink again or take drugs."
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