Dad admits killing his 5-week-old baby boy | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Angry at his partner, Adam Christopher Lock forcefully grabbed his 5-week-old son around the ribs before violently shaking the baby and smashing his head against a hard surface.

The 22-year-old Taupo man yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter and a charge of assaulting Jayrhis Ian Te Koha Lock-Tata when he appeared before Justice Edwin Wylie in the High Court at Rotorua.

The baby died in Starship Hospital on March 7 last year from massive bleeding between the skull and brain - two days after being taken to hospital unconscious.

Lock also pleaded guilty to five counts of assaulting a woman and one count of assault with intent to injure.

Throughout their relationship since 2006, Lock had physically and verbally abused his partner, believing she was playing around with other men, the Crown summary of facts said.

He would take his anger out on her and property, often hitting and kicking holes in walls in a fit of rage.

Five days before Jayrhis was born Lock pushed his partner forcefully on to her stomach - requiring her to seek medical help.

On March 5 last year, Lock was looking after Jayrhis while his partner, Shannel Tata, took their 1-year-old daughter to daycare.

 Jayrhis had been unsettled throughout the previous night, regularly waking and crying for no reason, and was asleep when Ms Tata left.

She then went to see her lawyer, returning to home about an hour later to be told Jayrhis was still asleep.

When Ms Tata and Lock got into a heated discussion, the baby woke up and Lock went to get him, holding Jayrhis as they continued to argue.

Both parents were upset, the summary states, but Lock swore at Ms Tata, demanding she leave the house, and put the baby back to bed.

Checking on Jayrhis before she left, Ms Tata went to a neighbour's house for a coffee and smoke as she was still upset.

Minutes later, a friend arrived at the house as Lock ran outside in a "panicked state" screaming that the baby wasn't breathing.

Jayrhis was found lying on the end of a bed where they tried to revive him and an ambulance was called.

Paramedics found a heart rate but Jayrhis wasn't breathing and he was taken to Taupo Hospital where doctors discovered the baby had faint red marks under both armpits and a small red mark on his neck.

The baby also had a bruise on his jaw.

Lock told doctors he found Jayrhis on his side, not breathing and with his eyes rolling back in his head.

When asked if the baby had fallen, Lock said their daughter had jumped on him but he couldn't explain how, just that she was "rough with him".

In a critical condition, Jayrhis was transferred to Starship Hospital for specialist treatment.

On arrival at the hospital in Auckland, Jayrhis' heart was not beating and his breathing had to be assisted.

Medical staff noticed bruises to the baby's stomach and bladder area and x-rays found the baby had fractures to the ribs which were about two to three weeks old.

A brain scan found bleeding across the entire surface of the brain.

Life support was turned off.

When initially spoken to by police Lock continually denied causing the fatal injuries, blaming his daughter for jumping on Jayrhis.

In the summary, the Crown said Lock "didn't mean to kill" Jayrhis but had reacted angrily to the baby in a situation where he was upset.

He sought help immediately after shaking the baby.

Lock has been remanded in custody for sentencing on September 30.