Father jailed after shaking baby son to death

Searches of Piotr Sobczyk's home address found his son's blood on the sofa, cushions and wet wipes

Piotr Sobczyk, 27, must serve a minimum of 16 and a half years (London Metropolitan Police)

A father has been sentenced to life in prison after shaking his baby son to death.

Piotr Sobczyk, 27, must serve a minimum of 16 and a half years after he was found guilty of killing six-month-old Oskar Sobczyk.

A court at the Old Bailey heard Oskar was a healthy baby on the day his mother left him in Sobczyk's care while she went to the shops.

It is unclear exactly what happened, but the prosecution said Sobczyk lost control and shook and assaulted Oskar before calling the London Ambulance Service.

A post-mortem showed he later died from a head injury. There was also evidence of older injuries, including fractures and damage to his left arm, along with several bruises.

Oskar Sobczyk was six months old when he was killed (London Metropolitan Police)

Detective Inspector Julie Willats, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "We will never really know what happened that day as only Sobczyk and his six-month-old son were inside the family home.

"But it is believed Sobczyk violently shook and assaulted Oskar in an outburst of rage, causing catastrophic injuries from which the baby had no hope of recovery.

DI Willats said Sobczyk changed his story several times. He initially told police he was cleaning the flat and noticed Oskar wasn't breathing in his cot, then later claimed Oskar had accidentally fallen off a sofa when he was out the room.

He changed his story again while giving evidence, saying he had shaken Oskar "gently" in an attempt to resuscitate him.

While his son was in hospital, Sobczyk attempted suicide.

A bag of cannabis was found in the family's bedroom and the jury heard Sobczyk was a regular user.

Searches of his home address found Oskar's blood on the sofa, cushions and wet wipes found by the door, suggesting Sobczyk tried to clear up evidence before the ambulance arrived.

DI Willats added: "I am pleased the jury saw through his lies and have convicted him today. Cases involving the deaths of children are always incredibly difficult for all concerned and I would like to thank those who gave evidence in this case.