Man jailed for nine years after admitting killing baby boy in Derbyshire village

A man has been sentenced to nine years after admitting the manslaughter of his eight week old son.
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A mother told how her family’s lives were “ripped apart” when Cody Shields-Holman died in hospital after he was assaulted by his father Anton Shields.

Cody suffered head injuries at a house in Bamford and was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital on June 27 last year. The eight-week-old sadly died two days later.

Shields, 39, was arrested at the scene and initially charged with murder, which he denied.

Anton ShieldsAnton Shields
Anton Shields

Shields, of Hardwick Crescent, Barnsley, was jailed for nine years today.

Following the sentencing at court, a statement was issued by Cody’s mother.

She said: “I have lost my baby forever but I think of him all the time. Cody would have been approaching one-and-a-half years old now and I often think of what he would look like and what he would be able to do, if what happened had never happened.

“Our family’s lives were ripped apart that day. I had no concerns about Anton being left with Cody, as I had done it before. But that simple decision to leave them for 15 minutes ended in devastation.

“Cody was eight weeks old when he died and had changed so much in those eight weeks. He was my bundle of joy. His brothers and sisters adored him, too.

“I put on a brave face to be strong for my children – I have to. I’m their mum and they need me. But it has been very difficult to explain to them what happened, especially to my youngest. All I could say to him was that his baby brother had gone up to be a star in the sky, and watches down on him every night.”

Detective Inspector Steve Bruce, who led the police investigation into the death, said: “My thoughts on this extremely difficult day go to Cody’s mother and family, whose lives were shattered by the actions of Anton Shields in those 15 minutes.

“Only Shields knows what truly happened in those moments, but what we do know is that Cody was assaulted to such an extent that he suffered fatal head injuries.

“What this case highlights is just how devastating such an act can be; it shows how fragile a baby’s body is, and why they need to be nurtured with the utmost care.

“Cody came from a loving home. He was doted on by his mother, adored by his siblings, and loved by all of his family. It was only when he was left in the care of Shields, as he had been before, that this happened.

“No sentence can undo what happened that day but I hope it brings some small sense of justice for the family, and for the close-knit community of Bamford.”

Shields pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter earlier this month, just a day before his trial was due to start.

The manslaughter plea was accepted and the murder charged was dropped, following detailed discussions between Cody’s family, prosecutors and police.

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