A WEST WALES man accused of murdering his partner’s five-month-old son has told a jury he “panicked” and shook the baby in an attempt to revive him.
Thomas Morgan denies killing Jensen-Lee Dougal, who suffered catastrophic brain injuries at the family home in Clydach in March 2024.
The child was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales but died the following day in his mother’s arms.
Morgan, of Penyrheol Road, Gorseinon, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court charged with murder and three counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. He denies all charges.
Opening the defence case, the court heard Morgan claims the infant had been sick after feeding and was found choking and unresponsive when he returned with fresh clothes. He said he shook the baby, tapped his back and splashed water on him in an effort to get a reaction before seeking help from a neighbour. He told jurors he could not call an ambulance because his phone was faulty.
Asked in the witness box what he physically did, Morgan said: “I completely panicked. I shook him to get a reaction out of him.” He added he did not believe he used enough force to cause harm and said it was “absolutely not” his intention to hurt the child.
Prosecutors allege the injuries were inflicted deliberately.
The jury has heard detailed medical evidence describing bleeding and swelling to the brain, bleeding to the spine and eyes, bruising to the ears and chin, multiple rib fractures and fractures to the legs, elbow, spine and foot.
Doctors said some of the rib fractures showed healing, suggesting they occurred during two separate periods — between early January and early February, and again between mid-February and the end of March.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker told the court each set of injuries was rare in babies and strongly associated with non-accidental trauma. Considering the total pattern, she said they were “purposefully inflicted”, consistent with abusive head trauma such as violent shaking.
“These injuries do not occur in the course of normal handling of a baby,” she said.
She added the brain damage was so severe that Jensen-Lee would have lost consciousness and gone into cardiac arrest within minutes. An equivalent accidental force, the court heard, would be comparable to a high-speed road collision or a fall from a second-floor window.
The prosecution claims Morgan was “fired up with anger” following an earlier argument when the injuries were caused. Morgan denies losing his temper or assaulting the child.
The trial continues.
