Mother Describes Finding Baby After Alleged Shaking
A mother has recounted in court the moment she discovered her four-week-old baby limp and grey following an alleged violent shaking by her partner, which prosecutors say caused fatal brain damage.
Atticus Bartlett collapsed at the family residence in Chard, Somerset, after the alleged incident involving his father, Tony Bartlett, 39, a postal worker. Bartlett denies charges of murder and manslaughter.
Details of the Night and Feeding Incident
At Bristol Crown Court, it was revealed that Bartlett had been left alone to feed Atticus after a night out during which he reportedly consumed up to nine pints of beer.
The baby’s mother, Evelyn Ballentyne, informed the jury that when she came downstairs on the night of 16 July 2022, her child was making "gasping noises."
"If you have ever watched someone pass away, towards the end of their life, they make funny noises and that’s what he did."
"I then stared at Atticus for a couple of seconds and you could just tell that he had gone grey. He was dead. I don’t know if I said: ‘He’s dead’ or: ‘He’s not breathing.’ I screamed."
Ballentyne described that Atticus had been lying face down on his father’s knees when Bartlett "flipped" him over. She said,
"Atticus’s head just flopped back, he wasn’t alive."
Emotional Impact and Courtroom Exchanges
During questioning, prosecuting counsel Charles Row KC asked Ballentyne how often she had reflected on the events of that night. She responded tearfully,
"All the time."
The court heard that Ballentyne had previously stated she had picked Atticus up and gently shaken him to revive him, but she clarified to the jury,
"My memory is very clear now of that night."
Defence barrister Nigel Power KC suggested Ballentyne had attempted to "minimise" her actions, which she denied. When asked,
"Tony didn’t do anything to harm Atticus, did he?"
Ballentyne replied,
"Yes he did."
Care Arrangements and Alleged Incident
Earlier that evening, Atticus had been cared for by his grandmother, Rachel Donovan, and her husband, Andrew, while Bartlett and Ballentyne visited a pub and comedy club.
Prosecutor Row informed the jury that Bartlett consumed up to nine pints of beer and was left to feed Atticus while Ballentyne went upstairs to change around 11pm.
It is alleged that during this time, Bartlett violently shook Atticus, causing severe brain and spinal cord injuries, along with multiple cracked ribs.
Medical Response and Outcome
Atticus was transported by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset, and subsequently transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
Despite medical efforts, the brain damage was so extensive that Atticus never regained consciousness or breathed independently. He passed away just before midnight on 23 July 2022.
