Court hears infant suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries after violent attack in Ceredigion home

A COURT has heard how a two-month-old baby was hurled with force at a television screen by their own father, causing multiple life-threatening injuries.

Rhidian Jamieson, 29, had been left in sole care of the infant at a property in Y Verwig, near Cardigan, on the afternoon of January 15, 2025. When the baby’s mother returned to the address a short time later, she found the child concealed beneath a duvet and fighting for life.

Sentencing Jamieson at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “The mother entrusted you with the care of her child and could not, in her worst nightmares, have imagined what you would do to that baby.

“For reasons you have never explained and have never had the courage to explain, you threw the baby with great force at a television.

“It would have been totally obvious to you that the baby had potentially been fatally injured, yet you didn’t even bother to check whether the child was alive. Instead, like the coward you are, you left the baby concealed under a duvet.”

Judge Thomas went on to say that attempts by the probation service to prepare a report prior to Jamieson’s sentencing failed, following his refusal to attend an interview with a probation officer whilst on prison remand.

“You refused to co-operate with probation, saying you weren’t going to attend the interview because you’d rather use the prison gym,” said Judge Thomas. “That was an opportunity for you to express your regret for what you did and explain why you acted the way you did.

“You will now have opportunities to take advantage of the free prison gym facilities for many years to come.”

The court was told that shortly after the attack, Jamieson contacted his gaming associates online, telling them that he had “snapped, lost it and thrown the baby at the television”.

Later that evening, Jamieson was arrested in Cardigan town centre. Whilst detained, he made unsolicited comments to police officers stating that he believed he had killed the child. He later attempted to blame another individual for the injuries, but police investigations confirmed that this person had not been present at the property at the time.

Emergency services arrived at the Y Ferwig address at around 10:15pm where they found the two-month-old baby lying beneath a duvet. The infant was rushed to West Wales General Hospital before being transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff due to the severity of the injuries.

There doctors identified a brain bleed, a fractured skull, bleeding to both eyes, extensive bruising and swelling to the face and limbs.

“These injuries are totally life-changing,” Judge Thomas said. “They include irreversible brain damage, loss of vision and the possibility of epilepsy for the rest of the child’s life.

“The baby will never have anything like the normal life that would have been expected had you not catastrophically lost your temper that day.”

Members of the child’s family described Jamieson as “a monster”, “a pathetic man-child” and “a disgusting person” in victim impact statements read out to the court.

Jamieson pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the child in April 2025 but later applied to vacate his plea. That application was refused by Judge Thomas, who adjourned sentencing until Monday (January 12).

The judge said he was appalled by Jamieson’s conduct since the offence.

“You haven’t shown a scintilla of remorse for the appalling, life-changing injuries inflicted on a helpless two-month-old baby,” he said. “Instead, you have wallowed in self-pity and did not even have the strength to attend court today to hear your sentence.”

At the start of proceedings, the court was handed a note stating that Jamieson would not attend as he believed he had been “wrongfully charged” and had “suffered enough mentally”.

Jamieson was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with two-thirds of the term to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Judge Thomas also imposed a lifelong restriction preventing Jamieson from ever having unsupervised contact with children.

“This will apply long after your release from prison, which will be many years from now,” he concluded.

Speaking about the impact of the incident, the baby’s mother said: “What has happened has completely changed my life and my daughter’s life forever, as well as having a huge impact on my whole family.

“You have caused us all an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering.”

She explained that her baby had suffered ‘serious injuries’, the long-term effects of which medical experts have not yet been able to determine.

“I live every day not knowing whether she will be able to walk, talk, learn properly or live an independent life,” the mother added. “The uncertainty is unbearable.

“Instead of enjoying my daughter’s first year of life, I now spend every day worrying about what the future holds. I feel robbed of the chance to just be a normal young mum.

“Instead of building a happy and safe life with my daughter, I am left to pick up the pieces of something I never imagined would happen.”

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Williams, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “This was an appalling act of violence towards a defenceless baby – his own daughter – who had been left in Jamieson’s care.

“We still do not know what made him act in this way – what made him ‘snap’, to use his own word – but even if he had revealed the catalyst for this vile behaviour, it would in no way make it excusable.

“The baby’s family has been thrown into turmoil since the despicable attack on January 15, spending a significant amount of time in hospital, and suffering months of anxiety as they waited to find out what the long-lasting impact of her injuries will be.

“I would like to commend them for their strength and cooperation through the police investigation, as well as the numerous officers and staff who have worked tirelessly to bring Jamieson to justice.”