BABY SHAKEN ‘LIKE HELL’: MONSTER GUILTY IN ARBROATH HORROR
Josh Coates, 25, is on trial accused of attempting to murder a four-month-old baby by allegedly shaking her violently in an Arbroath murder bid.The child suffered bleeding and swelling on the brain, consistent with 'abusive head trauma'.
Coates offered multiple explanations for the injuries, including a fall from a Moses basket and from a sofa, but medical evidence pointed to non-accidental head injury caused by shaking.
Coates denied shaking the baby, claiming the injuries resulted from accidental falls.
He also described himself as having anger issues, ADHD, short-term memory loss, and a 'brain of a seven-year-old'.
The trial continues at Dundee High Court.
—————————————————————————————————— A MAN accused of trying to murder a four-month-old baby by violently shaking her told a court he fed police and jurors a “pack of lies” because he was “petrified” of the child’s mother.
Josh Coates is on trial at the High Court in Dundee over the horrific injuries suffered by the infant at a property in Arbroath.
Doctors told the court the youngster suffered devastating brain trauma that left her with permanent brain damage, partial blindness and cerebral palsy.
Despite the severity of the injuries, medics said the baby has made a “remarkable” recovery.
Five specialists concluded the injuries were most consistent with violent shaking.
The bleeding on the child’s brain was compared to trauma typically seen in crushing incidents or serious car crashes.
Scans also revealed healing fractures in the baby’s arms along with bruising across her body — including injuries to both ears.
The child cannot be identified for legal reasons.
During dramatic evidence in court, prosecutors accused Coates of shaking the baby “like hell”.
Advocate depute Leanne McQuillan told him bluntly: “You shook her like mad.
You shook her like rags.” Coates insisted he never violently shook the child, claiming he only moved her while playing.
The court heard he was looking after the baby alone overnight despite professionals previously warning he should not be left alone with her because of his admitted anger issues.
Shortly after 6am on August 4, 2023, Coates messaged the child’s mother on Facebook demanding she “get the f*** home”, saying the baby was acting “weird” and it was “scary”.
Although the mother returned later that morning, an ambulance was not called for almost eight hours.
Jurors heard Coates repeatedly changed his explanation for the baby’s injuries.
Among the claims he made were that the infant: • Fell 35cm from a Moses basket onto a carpeted floor.
• Fell 45cm from a sofa onto a carpet.
• Was injured while he was playing roughly with her and accidentally “crushed her ribs”.
However, medical evidence showed no rib injuries.
Under questioning in court, Coates first stuck to the Moses basket explanation before suddenly apologising and claiming the baby had actually fallen from the sofa.
His own defence lawyer challenged him sharply, demanding he finally tell the truth.
Coates then alleged the baby’s mother had instructed him to blame the Moses basket incident to avoid social workers discovering she had been away from the house.
The 25-year-old repeatedly told the court he did not know how the baby ended up with catastrophic injuries.
When asked directly if he had shaken her, Coates replied: “No, I did not.” Police interviews shown to jurors revealed Coates demonstrating how he had lifted the child in the air.
At one stage he admitted he may have squeezed her too tightly around the ribs while playing.
Pressed again about shaking the infant, he said: “Playing with her… not full-on force.
Just a little bit.” But prosecutors claim the injuries were no accident.
During fierce cross-examination, Ms McQuillan accused him of attacking the baby and causing the devastating brain damage.
She said he was responsible for fractures, bruising across the child’s body and the life-threatening brain injury.
Coates insisted he would “never do that”.
He admitted lying to police earlier in the investigation but claimed he only did so because he was terrified of the baby’s mother.
He told the court she controlled him and had previously been violent towards him.
“If I could go back, I would tell the truth,” he said.
“I was just petrified.” Coates, of Berwick-upon-Tweed, denies attempting to murder the infant between July and August 2023 by bending her wrists and repeatedly shaking her, causing severe injury and permanent impairment.
The trial continues before Lord Young.
——————————————————————————————————- A violent brute who “shook a baby like hell” and left the four-month-old fighting for her life has been found guilty of attempted murder.
Josh Coates, 25, denied the sickening attack on the defenceless infant in Arbroath – but a jury needed just 30 minutes to see through his lies and convict him.
Coates is now behind bars after inflicting catastrophic brain injuries on the tiny victim, who suffered widespread bleeding on the brain and multiple bruises.
Scans also revealed healing fractures in both of the baby’s arms, believed to have been caused a week earlier when Coates twisted her wrists.
Throughout the investigation, the thug spun a string of frantic lies, claiming the baby’s injuries were caused by falls from a Moses basket or sofa, or even “rough play”.
But he later admitted to police he had told “a pack of lies.” Judge Lord Young told him: “You have caused very significant brain damage to a young baby with lifelong consequences for her.
“I now need to consider what consequences there should be for you.” The infant – who cannot be named for legal reasons – suffered injuries doctors compared to those seen in crushing accidents or high-speed car crashes.
She has been left with permanent brain damage, partial blindness and cerebral palsy in all four limbs, though she is now making “remarkable” progress in foster care.
⸻ LEFT ALONE WITH BABY DESPITE WARNINGS The High Court heard Coates had been left alone with the child overnight, despite social workers warning he should not be unsupervised with her due to his anger issues.
When the baby’s mother returned home on August 4, 2023, Coates denied shaking the infant and concocted a story about the child falling from a Moses basket.
Later he changed his account again, claiming the baby had fallen from a sofa before bizarrely blurting out that he “didn’t shake her like rags” – despite shaking never being mentioned.
Shockingly, an ambulance was not called for nearly eight hours, only after the child’s grandmother returned from holiday.
⸻ PANICKED MESSAGES EXPOSED LIES Crucial evidence came from panicked Facebook messages Coates sent early that morning.
At 6.07am, he told the child’s mother to “get the f* home.”** He later messaged the man she was with, writing: “She’s being weird.
She’s not waking up what’s scaring me to f***.
“She’s still breathing like but I don’t know what the f***’s wrong with her.
It’s scary.” Those messages proved the baby was already critically ill long before her mother returned home.
Five medical experts later told jurors the child could not possibly have been giggling or feeding normally, as Coates and the mother claimed.
All concluded the injuries were caused by abusive head trauma, most likely through violent shaking and blunt force.
One doctor said a fall from a Moses basket was “inconceivable.” Another said a fall from a sofa might not even leave a bruise.
⸻ JURY TOLD ATTACK WAS “WICKEDLY RECKLESS” Prosecutor Leanne McQuillan told jurors the infant had been utterly dependent on the adults meant to protect her.
“She was a four-month-old baby completely dependent on the adults around her to keep her safe,” she said.
“She ended up in intensive care with very serious injuries which still have an impact on her.” She told the jury the attack showed “wicked recklessness” amounting to attempted murder.
⸻ LIES CONTINUED IN WITNESS BOX Even in court, Coates continued to twist the truth.
He eventually admitted to shaking the baby “a little bit”, claiming the child “liked it.” The former holiday park and crab factory worker blamed his lies on being “petrified” of the baby’s mother.
He also claimed to suffer from short-term memory loss, ADHD, and the mental capacity of a seven-year-old.
His own defence lawyer Jim Keegan KC admitted Coates was prone to temper tantrums and compulsive lying.
“He has evaded the truth,” the lawyer told jurors.
“Maybe he can hide from the truth and convince himself he didn’t harm the baby – but the evidence says otherwise.” ⸻ GUILTY Jurors unanimously convicted Coates of attempted murder.
Wearing a grey hoodie and black tracksuit bottoms, the disgraced attacker bowed his head as he was led away to the cells.
He will be sentenced next month at the High Court in Glasgow.
