A BARNSLEY father has been found guilty of murdering his baby.
Michael Carl Beaumont, of Chapel Street, Hoyland, was found guilty by a jury on December 17 following a six-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.
During the trial, the court heard how Beaumont had claimed that his son, Kadan, had been knocked over by the family dog in order to disguise the horrific injuries that he had inflicted upon the 11-month-old.
Emergency services were called to the family home in Hoyland at 10am on September 28, 2011, following reports that Kadan had been unwell after being knocked over by the dog the day before.
Kadan was taken to Barnsley Hospital and later transported to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he died.
Also standing trial was Kadan’s mother, Helen Barnes, 28, of Chapel Street, Hoyland. She was found guilty of neglect.
Evidence was shown in court that Barnes received a picture of Kadan’s injuries from Beaumont. The jury concluded that she wilfully neglected Kadan in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.
The pair are due to be sentenced on December 18 at Sheffield Crown Court.
DCI Sean Middleton, who led the investigation, said: "This is a shocking case of violence from a parent, which sadly resulted in the death of an innocent young child.
"By blaming the family dog, Beaumont attempted to cover his horrific actions, but the evidence surrounding the cause of Kadan’s death, provided by expert pathologists, was overwhelming.
"Beaumont claimed that Kadan had been knocked over by the dog the day before, however, experts concluded that Kadan had died from head injuries that were likely to have been sustained only an hour before emergency services were called.
"This has been a particularly distressing case for all concerned and hopefully the end of this trial will bring some closure to the rest of Kadan’s family.
"I would like to thank the community of Hoyland for their help and support during this investigation."
