ITN
Authorities fail murdered baby
Authorities fail murdered baby
A violent father was left to beat and burn his son to death despite being labelled as a risk to children by the authorities. Jobless father-of-six Paul O'Neil, 33, has been jailed for life after holding his three-month-old son's face against a gas fire because he was jealous of the attention he received from the boy's mother. Little Aaron died four days later, on February 10, 2005, as O'Neil shook him and then fractured his skull with a blow to the head. Now it has emerged that social services and health staff had known O'Neil posed a risk to children nine months before he killed his son but did little to intervene. O'Neil been physically violent to his former partners and abusive to his five other children - something social services admitted today. They completed an initial child protection assessment but not enough was done to ensure that Aaron was protected from a sadistic father who had Catherine Fitt, executive director of children's services at Newcastle City Council, said health and social workers should have done more to see Aaron. Asked what would happen in the future, she replied: 'We wouldn't take no for an answer and we would ring the police. 'This is a tragedy that has been deeply distressing for everyone who was touched by Aaron's life. We must always try to do better and lessons have been learned.' Mrs Fitt added: 'We cannot be inside people's homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but we must take responsibility for doing everything in our power to ensure that children in Newcastle are safe.' Newcastle North MP Doug Henderson said he had written to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt calling for an external inquiry. The tiny baby was beaten and burned so badly that he died 92 days after he was born. A post-mortem examination revealed that there were 37 separate injuries and marks on Aaron's body. He had suffered a shocking catalogue of non-accidental burns, bruises and broken bones during his brief life. Some of the injuries, among them a healing skull fracture, had been inflicted days or weeks earlier, Newcastle Crown Court heard. There was also evidence of a cigarette burn on Aaron's shoulder and a scalding injury. Health visitors had tried to keep a check on Aaron but O'Neil had stopped them from seeing the child. He had used 'unforgivable violence' against his son because he resented the attention the youngster was getting from his mother, Jodie Taylor. The defendant, of Banbury Road, Kenton, Newcastle, had admitted cruelty but denied murder and five charges of GBH with intent between November 2004 and February 2005. The jury was unable to reach verdicts on three charges GBH - of inflicting two skull fractures and a rib fracture. The judge ordered these counts to lie on file. O'Neil was jailed for life with a recommendation he serve at least 22 years' before being considered for parole. Passing sentence Judge David Hodson said: 'You brutal and callous behaviour without it seems scrap of compassion or a morsel of remorse, culminating in you squeezing him without excessive force and breaking some ribs before battering him to death. 'Aaron was entitled to expect that as his son you would care and attend for him. Instead you murdered him.'
ITN | February 24, 2006
