GEORGE COCHRANE'S BRUTAL CRIMES IN GRANGEMOUTH: BABY DANGLE AND ASSAULT SHOCK COMMUNITY

In April 2017, a disturbing incident involving George Cochrane, a resident of Lumley Street in Grangemouth near Falkirk, drew significant attention from local authorities and the community. Cochrane, aged 27, was involved in a horrifying act of child abuse that left a young 15-month-old boy in a perilous state, nearly causing him to suffocate. The incident, which took place at a house in Grangemouth, was witnessed by two individuals who were present at the scene and later provided crucial testimony during the court proceedings.

According to reports, Cochrane was visibly irritated by the child's crying and, in a moment of reckless anger, called the infant a derogatory term, “a little b*****d.” His frustration escalated into a violent act when he decided to lift the baby by the hood of his jacket, which was strapped into a pushchair. The combined weight of the child and the stroller exerted pressure on the boy’s windpipe, causing him to turn blue as he struggled to breathe. Witnesses observed the child's face change color from purple to blue, indicating a severe lack of oxygen, and saw him visibly struggling as the front of his clothing tightened around his neck.

Prosecutor Matthew Kerr detailed the incident, stating, “He strapped the baby in his pushchair and, when he continued to cry, took hold of the hood of the top the baby was wearing and lifted him by it. Both the child and the pushchair were lifted from the floor. Both witnesses observed the baby’s face go purple and then blue, and saw he was struggling to breathe as the front of his clothing was tightening to the front of his neck.”

Following this distressing event, Cochrane was challenged by the witnesses, who demanded he put the baby back on the pushchair seat before he left the scene. The incident occurred during a lunchtime visit to the house, where Cochrane had been caring for the child. This was not an isolated event; witnesses had expressed concern over a previous incident just weeks earlier, where Cochrane had violently shaken the baby after picking him up from the floor by his jacket because he was crying. The next day, social workers were contacted, and the child was taken into protective custody. Medical examinations revealed bruising on both sides of the child's forehead, consistent with blunt force trauma, and a mark on his thigh. Doctors confirmed that such injuries could not have been self-inflicted, especially considering the child's age and the nature of the bruises.

During the court proceedings, Cochrane pleaded guilty to charges of assault and threatening behavior towards the child, which spanned from December 2015 to March 28, 2016. The court heard that the child's crying was due to tiredness, and that Cochrane’s actions were driven by frustration and inability to cope with personal difficulties at the time. The court also noted that Cochrane was an unemployed father of one, and that his behavior was unacceptable and dangerous.

Judge William Gilchrist, presiding over the case at Stirling Sheriff Court, acknowledged that although the charges did not involve physical injury, the severity of the acts committed against such a vulnerable infant warranted serious consideration. Cochrane had already spent three weeks in custody on remand. The judge decided against imprisonment, stating that jail time would serve “no useful purpose,” and instead sentenced Cochrane to perform 300 hours of unpaid work, the maximum permissible under the law. Additionally, he was placed under supervision for two years and ordered to undergo anger management and alcohol counseling to address underlying issues.

In a related court appearance, Cochrane was compelled to represent himself after his solicitor withdrew from his case. The judge remanded him in custody until April 19 for pre-sentencing reports, warning that “a custodial sentence is almost inevitable” given the gravity of his actions. The case has left the community in Grangemouth deeply disturbed, highlighting the importance of child protection and the need for vigilance against such acts of violence.