The father of a baby boy who died in hospital from a head injury, after he was dropped down the stairs, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Alfie Goddard was just three months old when he died at Sheffield Children's Hospital in May 2008, after suffering a fatal head injury two days earlier.

The baby's father, Craig Goddard, 24, of Marton Road, Toll Bar, has pleaded guilty to murder, while his mother Lindsay Harris, 19, has already admitted perverting the course of justice.

Goddard, who will serve at least 11 years, had anger management issues and got frustrated, the court heard.

A post mortem examination revealed the 12-week-old boy's death was caused by a head injury.

Details of the child's death were outlined in court by prosecuting barrister Simon Jackson QC. Mr Jackson said Goddard gave differing accounts to police officers about how his son had died.

In one interview he said: "Alfie must have fallen down the stairs when I had blacked out at the top of the stairs and Alfie must have gone down the stairs."

However, in a further interview, Goddard said he did not mean to do anything and the youngster would not settle. "I just got frustrated, I didn't mean to hurt him.

"I've just got this anger thing, I didn't mean to hurt him. I just lost my temper."

The court also heard in later interviews, Goddard had accepted being responsible for the baby’s death.

Sentencing Goddard, Mr Justice Beatson described Alfie's death as "truly tragic". He said: "A young life has been lost and the two of you marked by the consequences of what has occurred for the rest of your lives."

The judge told Goddard: "Alfie wouldn't settle and you became upset. You shook him, rocking him from side to side, and grabbed and squeezed him too hard - hard enough to fracture three ribs. Then, in a moment of anger, you dropped him from a height of five feet."

Mr Justice Beatson said social services could not be blamed. He said: "You accept, as does Miss Harris, that what happened was the responsibility of those who were present in that house."

The case is just one of seven in the Doncaster Council area of children who have died from neglect or abuse since 2004.

A full scale review of Doncaster's children's services has now been announced by Children's Secretary Ed Balls. Five of the serious case reviews commissioned into each death have involved children under the age of 16 months.

The findings of three of the reviews have already been made public and they found there were a series of missed opportunities for social workers to intervene before the deaths.

An Ofsted inspection last month rated the department "inadequate". It also found social workers were working "against the backdrop of unmanageable workloads" that led to a "chaotic and dangerous situation" within the child protection team.

(JM/BMcC)