A man originally from the Western Isles has been jailed for 15 years the attempted
to murder a baby.
John Dobbie was found guilty of violently shaking the three-month-old infant, fracturing
his skull and leaving him blind and brain damaged.
The 36-year-old who locals said hailed from Benbecula denied attempted murder but
was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.
Dobbie - who had been trusted to look after the child for a period - claimed he only
“shoogled” the infant when he was crying.
Judge Lord Armstrong said the fracture to the boy’s skull was the “equivalent of
that involved in throwing a baby from a fast-moving vehicle or dropping a baby from
an upper floor window.”
Lord Armstrong told the accused: “This crime of which you have been convicted is
marked by its sheer brutality and by its devastating and catastrophic consequences
for your victim who was defenceless and, at the relevant time, totally dependent
on you.”
The child sufferers from cerebral palsy, is incapable of independent movement, requires
to be fed by gastrostomy tube, is blind, and is not capable of developing speech.
The boy requires constant lifetime care following the attack at an Dobbie’s address
near Kirkcaldy, Fife, in June 2011.
After the horrific assault, Dobbie took infant to hospital in Kirkcaldy, claiming
he had become unwell.
But doctors determined that the infant's injuries were consistent with being shaken
and contacted police.
A major investigation was launched and Dobbie was ultimately charged with attempted
murder.
Detective Inspector John Anderson, who led the enquiry said: “"The horrific injuries
the child sustained mean he will live with numerous impairments for the rest of his
life and will require day-to-day care.
“Despite this, John Dobbie has never shown any remorse for his actions, which demonstrates
how cold and callous an individual he is.”
DI Anderson added: “The sentence handed to John Dobbie reflects just how truly a
horrendous crime he committed against a defenceless baby.
Man violently shook baby, causing serious brain damage 16/7/14
John Dobbie
Photo: Police Scotland