Mark Bruton-Young "could not face up to life as a father", the court heard A Gloucester man who said he was suffering from post-natal depression has been found not guilty of murdering of his baby daughter. Architect Mark Bruton-Young, 36, from Quedgley, was accused of killing six-month-old Harriet by smothering her between 25 June and 28 June last year.
Bristol Crown Court heard during the trial that Mr Bruton-Young "could not face up to life as a father".
Mr Bruton-Young had denied a charge of murder.
His trial heard how Harriet was found dead in her cot at the end of June 2009.
It was alleged that Mr Bruton-Young had started scouring the internet in January that year looking for ways of getting rid of the baby.
The prosecution said that information gathered from Mr Bruton-Young's work computer showed that he initially searched for advice on bonding, depression and fatherhood.
In the weeks leading up to his daughter's death Mr Bruton-Young was alleged to have begun to search for terms such as "signs of deliberate suffocation" and "how quickly can a baby suffocate?".
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said after the verdict: "The police treat all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants very seriously and work closely with other agencies and key professionals in order to thoroughly investigate each case.
"The evidence that was gathered in this case was carefully examined and referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, who subsequently decided that Mark Bruton-Young should be charged and the evidence brought in front of a jury."
No comments:
Post a Comment