A YOUNG mother gave an emotional speech in court on the impact having to care for her severely brain-damaged son 24/7 is having on her life.
Olivia Shaw told a judge she feels "overwhelming guilt" that she was unable to help then four-month-old Mason who suffered horrific injuries when his father Luke Kerwin shook him.
This afternoon Kerwin, of Athol Close, Sinfin, was jailed for three years and two months after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm on Mason, who is now almost two-years-old.
Judge Jonathan Gosling told the 25-year old: "You were in a position of trust. This was your baby and at that moment you were his sole carer and you abused that trust."
In an almost unprecedented move Miss Shaw, 23, of Littleover, addressed the court in person, taking to the witness box to read out a victim personal statement on how the shocking incident has affected her life.
Fighting back the tears she said: "Because of what Luke did to Mason I realise I am going to put my own life on hold for years.
"We are cut off from life, deprived from being able to bond properly as mother and child.
"I dread going to sleep and not waking in case he has a seizure.
"I feel totally overwhelmed with guilt because I was not able to help him."
Derby Crown Court, sitting at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court, heard how Kerwin broke two of Mason's ribs when he picked him up and shook him "when he lost his temper" in the early hours of April 5 last year.
Mark Van Der Zwart, prosecuting, said the then four-month old was taken to hospital where scans revealed he had suffered "severe brain injuries".
Both Miss Shaw and Kerwin were arrested and during a police investigation Miss Shaw was only allowed limited and supervised access to her son, who was being cared for by Miss Shaw's mother.
Mr Van Der Zwart said: "These were catastrophic injuries to Mason's brain.
"He has severe epilepsy, it is very likely he will not be able to walk and he needs a nasal gastric tube in order to get the many medicines he needs.
"It is highly likely he will remain entirely dependent on carers throughout his life."
Miss Shaw, a former Derby Moor Community Sports College pupil, met Kerwin when she was a teenager and they started going out when she was 16 and he was 19.They set up home in Kestrels Croft, Sinfin, three years later and Mason was born in December, 2012.
When he was 10 days old he had to undergo open-heart surgery after being diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
The court was told how on the night of the shaking incident Kerwin had been out with a friend and had smoked cannabis.
He returned home and he and Miss Shaw went to bed, leaving Mason in his cot.
Miss Shaw got up twice to check on him but then asked Kerwin to check on him when he started crying a third time.
Mr Van Der Zwart said: "The defendant got back into bed and Miss Shaw went to check on Mason.
"She looked into his cot and he was making a grunting sound.
"She picked him up, his head flopped and his legs started moving as though he was cycling.
"She became hysterical and the emergency service were called who got Mason to hospital quickly."
Bobby Egbuna, for Kerwin, said his client was fully aware of the impact of what he had done.
Mr Egbuna said: "It is accepted that Mr Kerwin did not intend to cause the type of injuries that Mason suffered.
"He has to live with the consequences and in his own way has suffered for what was a momentary lapse.
"He will come out (of prison) with the stigma that will be attached to him for the rest of his life."
