A callous Manchester brute who shook his baby son in a vicious rage has vanished after missing court ahead of him getting a six-and-a-half-year jail term.
Fugitive Andrew Rutter, who has 22 none-violent previous convictions, committed his latest offence on May 13 2012 after becoming “frustrated” with his son’s crying.
Rutter, 28, disappeared half way through his trial as damning evidence mounted up against him over his cruelty to son Jacob.
Whilst he was babysitting seven-month-old Jacob, Rutter sent a series of desperate text messages to the infant’s mother who was at work.
The first read: “He is doing my head in, he won’t stop screaming.”
Another said: “I can’t handle him,” and a third read: “If you keep being soft with him I’ll never have him again”.
The alarm was raised after Rutter, of Walkden, Greater Manchester sent a fourth text saying: “He can’t open his eyes, he’s gone all floppy.”
It was followed up with the message: “He won’t wake up – I’m getting worried now.”
Jacob’s mother Samantha, 22, called the out-of-hours doctors service for advice but the baby’s health deteriorated and he was taken to a walk-in centre.
Staff examined him and called an ambulance to take him to hospital where was found to have been shaken so violently he suffered a bleed to his brain.
Scans showed the youngster had suffered a subdural hematoma and he spent over a month in hospital.
Now two years old, he is currently living with his grandparents and despite his injuries is not thought to have suffered any long term problems.
Rutter, who was on bail, turned up for the start of his trial at Bolton Crown Court on January 20, but he failed to show for court on Tuesday after the prosecution finished its case against him – and he has not been seen since.
On Thursday a jury who heard the incident was a ”moment of madness” convicted Rutter in his absence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and cruelty to a child by willful neglect.
Rutter is now the subject of a police manhunt after Judge Timothy Clayson issued a warrant for his arrest and said he would face six years and six months jail when he is captured.
Judge Clayson said: “The defendant had become increasingly frustrated with Jacob.
“Medical evidence in the case indicates that Jacob was significantly subjected to a violent shaking that resulted in a serious injury to his brain.
He added: ”There is a trail of evidence via text messages that demonstrates what happened.
“The defendant didn’t take any steps to summon any medical help. He didn’t reveal what he had done to his girlfriend. Samantha did contact the walk-in centre but was not in a position to say what had happened.
“The next day the baby was taken to a medical centre and then the hospital and received treatment some weeks thereafter.
”There is no up-to-date progress but his grandparents seem to be positive and it’s to be hoped that there are no serious long term problems.”
Prosecutor Rob Hall said of the text messages: “It indicates that Rutter shook him in a manner that is beyond anything appropriate and then knowing what he had done, failed to do anything to assist the child in getting any sort of care.
”These are the type of messages you might get from a parent who was losing their selfcontrol and displaying increasing anger.”
Defence counsel Wayne Jackson, said: ”Whilst I concede there was a shaking injury at some point, I say the evidence does not support any shaking on the day in question.”
Samantha was cleared of child neglect at an earlier hearing after the prosecution discontinued proceedings against her.
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