DUBLIN GRANDFATHER SENTENCED FOR SHAKING DEATH OF INFANT GRANDSON
A man named Chang Teng Wang, aged 58, who resides in Melville Rise, Finglas, Dublin 11, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for the unlawful killing of his ten-month-old grandson, Seán Wang.Wang admitted to Gardaí that he had vigorously shaken the baby in an attempt to calm him, which led to fatal head and neck trauma.
The court heard that Wang pleaded guilty to the incident which occurred on August 15th, 2019, and that he took responsibility without blaming others, thus avoiding a complex trial.
The judge, Martina Baxter, described the injuries as causing "the most final and devastating of injuries" and emphasized that the victim was an "example of the most vulnerable group of human beings that exist in our society who require us to protect them and shield them from harm." The court noted that Wang's actions resulted in Seán's death 66 hours after arriving at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, where he was initially thought to have been choking or injured from a fall.
Postmortem results confirmed injuries caused by vigorous shaking.
Wang stated he did not shake the baby to punish him and was unaware that his actions could be fatal.
The court mentioned that there was no evidence of beatings or punishment, and that Wang's conduct was likely accidental or negligent.
He has no previous criminal convictions, has shown remorse, and has the support of his family.
He previously co-operated with Gardaí and expressed a desire to leave Ireland, acknowledging his guilt.
The sentence includes six and a half years in prison, with 12 months suspended on strict conditions.
The judge also highlighted the shame Wang feels for causing his grandson's death and the support from the child's parents, who have forgiven him.
