Liam Murphy suffered seizures, pneumonia and chest infections during his life
A teenager who died from a chest infection 15 years after his father shook him as a baby was unlawfully killed, a coroner ruled today.
Liam Murphy, of Andover, Hampshire, suffered seizures, pneumonia and chest infections during his life and had to be fed by a tube attached to his stomach.
His father Baron Murphy was convicted in November 2002 of causing grievous bodily harm and jailed for a total of 12 years, of which he served eight years.
Liam died in July 2017 and the level of abuse saw the Crown Prosecution Service consider whether they should charge the father with murder - although they eventually decided against this.
Now, Mid-Hampshire coroner Grahame Short has ruled Liam's death was unlawful killing because of the lifelong injuries inflicted by his father when he was a baby.
Liam was born as a healthy baby three weeks prematurely on August 4, 2001 to his parents Shona Shering and Murphy. But doctors grew suspicious when he was taken to hospital twice in the three months following his birth.
On October 18 2001, Murphy took Liam to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and said he had stopped breathing while being fed at their home.
Liam's father took him to hospital and claimed he had stopped breathing while being fed at their home (pictured) in Andover, Hampshire
Detective Sergeant Giulio Pizzo said police had arrested and charged both of little Liam's parents after medical scans were carried out on him.
Mr Pizzo said: 'The subsequent investigation showed the injuries typical of non-accidental injuries or, more typically, baby shaking - bleeding on the brain, retinal haemorrhaging and fractures to the ribs.'
At a trial at Winchester Crown Court in November 2002, Murphy was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and jailed for a total of 12 years. Shering was given a two-year community rehabilitation order after being convicted of neglect.
Mr Pizzo added: 'She should have known, or ought to have known, the risks that Baron presented in looking after Liam.'
Liam was raised by his maternal grandmother following his parents' convictions but the injuries he sustained from his father's abuse shortened his life.
Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the inquest how Liam, who weighed just 48 kilos and was 4ft 3ins tall, had developed cerebral palsy, scoliosis and epilepsy as a result of the damage to his body at such a young age.
Dr Purdue told the inquest that Liam suffered from seizures, pneumonia and chest infections
