UK: Drug-addict dad smothers his toddler to death, mutilates his genitals

Lancashire, England: A man has been arrested for smothering his seven-month-old son to death after physically abusing the toddler at their home in Lancashire, England.

According to a report in the Mirror, the accused identified as Kane Kennedy was in a ‘bad temper’ when he hit the child. The report also stated that Kennedy often fought with the child’s mother.

While the case was under trial at the Preston Crown Court, prosecutors said that Kennedy got hold of his son, Oskar’s genitals and pinched or twisted them. He is also accused of pushing his fingers down the toddler’s throat.

The court heard that Kennedy then put his hand over Oskar’s mouth and smothered him to death.

The autopsy report of Oskar claimed that he had several non-accidental injuries on his body along with 13 marks on his face and neck. The report also stated that there were bruises on his genitals. The type of bruises Oskar had on his private parts might have caused him ‘terrible pain,’ said doctors.

During the trial, Kennedy pleaded not guilty to murder and tried to put the blame on the child’s mother Tia Jobey. However, the court refused to believe that Jobey would have killed Oskar, but it did not rule out her involvement in the crime.

Jobey later pleaded guilty to allowing the death of Oskar. Sentencing her to 30 months in prison, Justice Davis said: "You had identified occasions in the past that he had suffocated Oskar. He put his hand over Oskar's mouth. He had shoved his fingers down Oskar's throat. Those are the two things that immediately happened before Oskar died. In my judgment you must have appreciated that conceivably could be the consequence.”

Kennedy will be sentenced on December 15 at the next hearing.