Man who killed baby son had violent record

A FATHER convicted of killing his baby son had a well-documented violent criminal past, a court heard yesterday.

Social workers had received repeated warnings about Marcus Bebbington's record of brutality and had placed his little boy on the "at risk" register because of the "volatile nature" of the household.

In July last year, Bebbington broke four-month-old Kristian's skull in two places having consumed five cans of lager and a pint of vodka.

Norfolk County Council came under fire after it emerged that the unemployed father had repeated convictions for violent crime. It was the third time in a year that the council has been criticised after the death of children.

The jury of seven women and five men, who earlier found the 34-year-old unemployed man guilty of manslaughter by majority verdict, listened in silence at Norwich Crown Court as his past was outlined. David Stokes QC, prosecuting, said that during the past 16 years Bebbington, of Norwich, had been given custodial sentences for violence and dishonesty totalling more than 10 years.

His crimes included breaking into a store armed with a hammer, striking a woman in the stomach and pushing a 75-year-old woman after breaking into her house.

He had been repeatedly violent towards Kristian's mother, Lorelie Cutter, whom he had once kidnapped and threatened with a blood-filled syringe which he claimed was contaminated with the Aids virus.

On the day of Kristian's death, the boy was left in his father's care when his 21-year-old mother walked out after another row.

Bebbington denied killing Kristian, insisting he was too drunk to remember what had happened. Police were forced to use CS spray to subdue him.Sentence was adjourned.