Northampton man jailed for attempted murder after 'vengeful' attack on nine-month-old baby
A Northampton man has been jailed for more than a decade-and-a-half for attempted murder, after a “vengeful” attack on a nine-month-old baby.
Radoslaw Zurek appeared at Northampton Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday (October 8), after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder during a trial in July.
The 29-year-old was arrested on January 2 this year, after paramedics were called to a flat in Victoria Road, Northampton, where they found Zurek with serious self-inflicted wounds alongside a nine-month-old child in a baby bouncer covered with a blanket.
The baby had marks on their face and neck, and hospital checks showed the baby had bruising around both sides of the neck and spots called petechiae on the face where capillaries had burst, consistent with strangulation. In court, the neck injury was detailed as one that could cause loss of consciousness within 10 seconds and death within a few minutes.
Zurek gave a no comment interview to police and declined to give evidence at his trial.
In mitigation, the court heard Zurek was of previous good character with no previous convictions, with the attack described as “an aberration” which happened whilst he was “in the grip of a depressive episode”.
Sentencing, Judge Rupert Mayo called the attack on the child “vengeful”.
He said: “You still bear a degree of responsibility for your decision to kill [the child] by strangulation.
“You do not appear to have insight into your offending and your motivation to address it may be limited.”
Zurek was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Speaking afterwards, investigating officer Detective Constable Emily Faulkner said: “I’m pleased with the sentence passed to Radoslaw Zurek. This sentence comes as the result of huge amount of work across our team, in particular the work of my colleague DC Evie Mugridge from CAIU West, and the wider force.
“I’m glad it was recognised that whilst Zurek was in a depressive state, the evidence still points to the fact he made a decision to kill this baby and, thinking the baby was dead, tried to kill himself.”
She added her thanks to all involved in the investigation.