A father who violently shook his six-month-old son and caused him catastrophic head injuries has been found guilty of his murder.
Mihai-Catalin Gulie, 28, was arrested by police after he attacked his son Robert Ion in a fit of rage at his home in Widnes, Cheshire, on February 21 this year.
The sixth-month-old, who was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome at birth and suffered from a range of medical complications, was rushed to hospital but was tragically pronounced dead just three days later.
The baby's mother Gabriela Ion, 35, had previously tried to cover up the baby's bruises - and injuries including broken ribs - with toothpaste, a court heard.
She admitted doing so, but said she did not foresee the fatal attack and blamed her husband for the killing.
Today Gulie was convicted of the murder of his child after a three-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Robert's mother Gabriela Ion was found guilty of causing or allowing his death.
Mihai-Catalin Gulie (left), 28, was convicted of the murder of his six-month-old child and his wife Gabriela Ion (right), 35, was found guilty of causing or allowing the baby's death
Sixth-month-old Robert Ion, who was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome at birth and suffered from a range of medical complications, was rushed to hospital but was tragically pronounced dead just three days later
Nicholas Johnson QC, for the prosecution, told the jury that three days before Robert's death, he had suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of Gulie, who was alone in the house while Ion and their two-year-old daughter had gone to a nearby corner shop.
The jury was told that on the day of the fatal assault, Robert's father fell into a rage and forcefully shook his son, probably impacting his head too.
The force used was enough to cause extensive internal bleeding and over-stretching of vulnerable structures inside Robert's brain and spinal cord, quickly leading a heart attack, from which he never recovered.
Mr Johnson said: 'It is not entirely clear why Robert's father did it but it wasn't the first time he had been violent to his son.
'Robert was born with Down's Syndrome and had other medical requirements such as feeding him through a tube into his stomach. His need for medical treatment in hospital had caused significant disruption and debt.
'Whatever the cause, subsequent investigations showed that, about 10 days before he was fatally attacked, Robert had suffered two fractured ribs and a bleed on the brain, which are classic signs of a previous forceful shaking.
'And this was a previous assault which Robert's mother was not only aware of but, rather than telling family and friends who lived close by or doctors or the police about the obvious risk of serious injury to him, covered up Robert's bruising with toothpaste and kept secret what was going on, until it was too late.
'As a result of the later, fatal attack on
