BEN POWELL-PEPPER FROM CENTRAL SENTENCED FOR SHAKING BABY IN SHEFFIELD

In a tragic case that has shocked the Sheffield community, Ben Powell-pepper, a 28-year-old father from Central, was convicted of inflicting severe injuries on his eight-week-old son through violent shaking. The incident, which occurred in Sheffield, led to the infant suffering life-threatening head injuries that required urgent medical attention.

According to medical assessments at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, the baby was found to have bleeding on the brain and behind his eyes, injuries that medical professionals confirmed must have resulted from considerable force. Dr. Noreen West, a consultant paediatrician involved in the case, explained that the bleeding was caused by rapid head movements or violent shaking, while a fractured rib was attributed to squeezing the child's chest with significant force several weeks prior to the hospital admission.

The Sheffield Crown Court heard that Powell-pepper initially lied to police about the cause of his son’s injuries. He claimed that he was under immense pressure due to losing his job and denied any involvement in shaking or losing control. However, he later submitted a detailed five-page confession to the authorities, admitting that he found it difficult to bond with his son and that his actions were driven by frustration.

Prosecutor Ben Campbell recounted the details of the incident, stating, “On one occasion, the child had been screaming really loud and wouldn’t stop. I held him in my hands, around his ribs and shouted at him ‘what do you want’. I think I put too much pressure on his ribs.” Regarding the second attack, Powell-pepper explained, “He was screaming and I moved from room to room trying to settle him. He started again and I just snapped for a split second and shook him. I said ‘why do you never settle’. After I did this, he just stopped breathing and went lifeless. I panicked and started to shout his name. I slapped his face, I started to shake him in sheer panic. I started CPR and got him breathing again.”

Emergency services responded swiftly, with the ambulance arriving at the family home on May 1, 2013. The paramedics were told that a two-month-old baby was struggling to breathe and was receiving CPR. The child was immediately taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where doctors diagnosed a life-threatening head injury. Medical staff expressed concern that the injury could result in long-term neurological damage, although the child, now a year old, was making good progress and showing signs of recovery.

Ben Powell-pepper was charged with two counts of cruelty to a person under 16. During the court proceedings, relatives of the child were visibly distressed, weeping in the public gallery as the judge delivered his verdict. The judge, Simon Lawler QC, emphasized the gravity of the offence, stating, “Every parent faces frustrations in the care of young children, but this was a baby, your baby, helpless and defenceless, and to vent frustration as you did when it’s so well known that even shaking for a few seconds can have serious consequences is quite unforgivable.”

In light of the severity of the case, Powell-pepper was sentenced to three years in prison. The judge underscored the importance of protecting vulnerable children from harm, especially from their own parents, and highlighted that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate given the circumstances.