Father who killed baby girl first time he was alone with her jailed for five years

Father who killed a newborn baby after her crying had interrupted his computer game was jailed for five years today.

Christopher Sellman had been left alone with 25-day-old Tiffany for the first time when he lost his temper after and slammed his daughter against a nappy-changing mat. She suffered a fractured skull and bleeding to the brain.

Sentencing Sellman, Mr Justice Bean made no mention of the criticism of social workers in an official report after Tiffany's death in November 2008.

Sellman had a previous conviction for violence and a caution for child neglect in 2004.

Two other children under his care had been taken away from him and a former partner by social services in the past.

A serious case review of Tiffany's death by Kent Safeguarding Children Board found the baby might still be alive today if opportunities had been taken by social workers and health agencies.

Sellman, 24, of Tunbridge Wells, had been cleared of murder by a jury but was convicted of manslaughter.

Today the judge stressed that Tiffany had already had a birth injury to her skull which may have contributed to her death and that Sellman had no intention of hurting her seriously.

But he added that "any one-month-old baby is tiny, fragile and vulnerable".

"Your daughter was left in your care for the first time when only one month old and within one hour she was effectively dead," he continued.

"It seems that you were playing a computer game when she cried, you picked her up and slammed her down on a padded changing mat with a view to change her nappy."

Despite the efforts of paramedics and doctors, Tiffany was declared dead at King's College Hospital in London.

After his arrest Sellman told a series of lies to the police claiming to have slipped and dropped her.