Tony Bartlett, who murdered four-week-old son Atticus Bartlett in ‘fit of anger’ jailed for life at Bristol Crown Court

The father who shook his four-week-old son to death was sentenced to at least 18 years in prison.

Atticus Bartlett died in hospital after falling ill at his family’s home in Chard, Somerset, on 16 July 2022.

Tony Bartlett, 39, of Axminster, Devon, was found guilty of murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The jury found that Bartlett violently shook Atticus, causing serious internal injuries to the baby’s brain and spinal cord.

Mr Justice Cavanagh sentenced Bartlett, a former postman, to life imprisonment and ordered him to serve a minimum term of 18 years.

The judge told Bartlett that he was “very drunk” when he carried out the fatal attack on Atticus, adding: “If you had not been so drunk, I have no doubt that this terrible tragedy would not have happened.”

He said Bartlett bottle-fed Atticus and the baby was taking out the milk.

“In your drunken state, it must have angered you that Atticus didn’t get the bottle as much as you thought he would,” the judge said.

“You had a sudden tantrum. You took that anger out on your little son. You shook him really hard and held him tightly by his chest.

“This only lasted a few seconds, or maybe a minute at most. In that brief moment, you intended to cause serious injury to Atticus.”

“Just as suddenly as you started, you stopped, your anger evaporated, and then you fell asleep.”

During the hearing, Charles Row KC said Bartlett was “drunk and frustrated” when he attacked his newborn son.

Bartlett and his then-partner, Evelyn Ballentyne, Atticus’ mother, had gone to a bar and comedy club that evening.

Mrs Ballentyne’s mother, Rachel Donovan, and her husband went to the family’s home in Darcis Row, Chard, to look after Atticus.

In the evening Bartlett drank 8.5 pints of beer before returning home with Mrs Ballentyne.

Mr Row told the court: “Evelyn Ballentyne went upstairs for a few minutes and left Atticus solely in the defendant’s care.

“When he returned, Atticus was lying face down on the defendant’s lap.

“He said, ‘He’s dead, he’s not breathing.’” He noted that the defendant appeared to be asleep, or at least his eyes were closed.

“The defendant flipped Atticus over. Atticus gasped twice and appeared limp and lifeless.”

Emergency services attended the property and Atticus was taken to Musgrove Park Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital.

The damage to his brain was so severe that he could not regain consciousness or breathe on his own.

Atticus died just before midnight on July 23, 2022.

Experts told the court the injuries sustained by Atticus were linked to “severe shaking” and rib fractures occurred due to “gripping and squeezing” during the attack.

In a victim personal statement, Ms Ballentyne described how she suffered “severe anxiety” following Atticus’ death.

“I’ll never know what kind of person Atticus will turn out to be,” he said.

“I’ll never see him reach his milestones. I’ll never see him go to school. I’ll never see him grow up and have a family of his own.”

She continued: “Who’s planning their baby’s funeral? Who’s going to the chapel of rest?”

“I had to wait 11 hours and 18 minutes for Atticus to die. It was terrible. I was afraid to go out, I was afraid to stay home.

“I can’t enjoy any moment because I have a dead son. It’s always mentally and emotionally draining. It’s a terrible thing.”

His mother, Miss Donovan, told the court she wondered what Atticus would look like now and what toys he wanted to play with.

“I want to spend one more day with Atticus,” he said.

“I’m glad Atticus was with me that night. He was loved, cuddled, and had a lovely night with us.

“I hope and pray that he never finds out what happened to him.”

Nigel Power KC, representing Bartlett, said his client had previously been a “good and caring parent” to his son.

“This is not a situation where there was intent or premeditation to kill,” Mr Power said.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Bowden, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Tony Bartlett was alone with Atticus when he suffered these horrific injuries and the medical evidence gathered during the investigation proves that he was the sole person responsible for inflicting them, despite his claims of innocence.

“This is a devastating case in which a very young baby lost his life as a direct result of the cruel act of a man who was supposed to provide him with the protection and care he needed.

“The loss of Atticus has had a profound impact on everyone who loved him. Our thoughts are with Atticus’ family, who had to endure a long and complex police investigation followed by a trial. They showed great dignity and courage throughout this process.

“Inquiries such as this are extremely distressing and I would like to thank everyone who provided evidence and supported our investigation to uncover the facts behind Atticus’ tragic death.”