Kent Police / SWNS (Image: Kent Police / SWNS)
Daniel Coombs, 32, faced a child cruelty charge after he was seen by his then partner hurting the 18-month-old boy in his own home in Sittingbourne, Kent, on August 26, 2023.
As a result of the ordeal, the tot was kept in hospital for seven days to assess the impact of the shaking, with his family saying that the whole situation has been “extremely difficult to process.”
His parents said: “The effect it has had on our son and our family as a whole has been immense.
“Seeing our son go from a cheeky, fun loving, inquisitive typical little boy, to one that is clingy, fearful, and cautious, whilst experiencing night terrors, is indescribable.
“Bruises and marks heal and fade, but the emotional and mental trauma from it doesn’t heal and fade as quickly.”
The court heard how Coombs, from Gillingham, was babysitting two children with his ex-partner, who was friends with their parents.
Judge Philip Statman, speaking at a sentencing hearing at Maidstone Crown Court, said: “His parents knew you would be babysitting him together with your then partner.
“She saw you with your hands on his head shaking him violently.
“She described it as being four occasions of shaking. She then saw you punching him with a clenched fist.
“Then a further two punches to him which she described as being far lighter.”
The court heard how the partner had believed those lighter punches were part of an attempt to “cover up” his previous actions and “made it look like a game” he had been playing.
Coombs’ ex-partner said during the incident he had a look on his face she had “never seen before”.
She added: “He looked angry or something else.”
At the time of the offence, Coombs was 31 years old and the victim’s sister, age six at the time, was also in the room.
Just after 8pm on August 26, Coombs ex-partner spoke with the youngster’s mother about what had happened.
The child was then admitted to hospital where a “superficial wound” was noted on his left leg and the child’s father reported the conduct to the police.
The child’s mother, who isn’t being named to protect the victim’s identity, said in her impact statement her son is now cautious around people with beards like Coombs.
She said: “We have struggled to come to terms about what happened to him.
“We are trying to process that our son was assaulted by someone we trusted. I don’t understand how someone can hurt a child.”
Bethan Rogers, defending, told the court how Coombs childhood was “peppered with violence” and how he had received learning support without any diagnosis.
She added: “He is no longer employed and is now homeless.”
The judge recognised that Coombs had previously worked in positions where he had “cared for others” both as a lifeguard and also caring for the elderly.
Furthermore, the court was told of Coombs background of depression and anxiety.
But in response, the judge said he did not think the incident had been triggered by mental health.
Judge Statman added: “You know that a child ought never to be shaken, we are dealing here with a child who was 18 months at the time.
“The incident of cruelty took place at an address where the child should have felt total safety.
“There is, in my judgement, only one way this court can deal with you and this by way of immediate custody.”
Coombs was sentenced to 20 months in prison, which was reduced to 17 months as per the credit given due to his guilty plea.
He will serve 40 per cent of that sentence and will remain on licence until its conclusion.
A restraining order preventing him from speaking to the family or visiting their home was placed on the offender and is in place for 10 years.
The parents of the victim said: “We are trying to heal, process and move forward as a family, which is a difficult task to do.
“The sentence that Daniel Coombs received wasn’t long enough in our eyes. We are glad he has received a sentence in prison, but it will never make up or justify what he did to our son or the knock on effect it has had on our other children and us.”