MANCHESTER MAN JAILED FOR SHAKING BABY TO DEATH IN BRUTAL ASSAULT

A man who deliberately shook his baby son to death has been sentenced to prison. Samuel Gildea, aged 30, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of four-month-old Alfie Gildea. According to the Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, the child died two days after his mother, Caitlin McMichael, found him with head injuries on September 12, 2018.Gildea was described as having committed the act of causing death through violent shaking, an act of "deliberate and unlawful violence," which led to Alfie's death. The court was told that the baby was taken to hospital after being found unresponsive; staff had managed to restart his heart, but his life support was turned off the following day. The incident occurred in Woodruff Walk, Manchester.Throughout the case, it was revealed that Gildea had a history of mental health issues and recent substance use, with blood tests showing traces of cocaine and cannabis in his system at the time of the child's death. Furthermore, Gildea had a history of controlling and abusive behavior towards Ms McMichael, including allegations of grabbing her face or neck, pulling her hair, and threatening violence. He was arrested in July 2018 after a neighbor reported his behavior. Subsequently, he was issued a domestic violence prevention order preventing contact with Ms McMichael for a month.Following his conviction, Gildea was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Ms McMichael expressed her grief, stating, "I will never watch my boy grow, receive a card on Mother's Day or hear him call me mummy." Detective Inspector Colin Larkin described the case as "truly heartbreaking." The court's decision concluded a tragic case of child fatality due to deliberate violence by the parent's partner.