Two-week-old baby’s murder in Yeovil hospital could not have been predicted, says report
Brendon Staddon's father, Daniel Gunter, was found guilty of his murder in July 2025
An independent review into the death of two-week-old baby at Yeovil District Hospital has concluded that his murder could not have been predicted.
Danie Gunter, 27, was found guilty of murdering his son Brendon Staddon at the hospital after a trial in July 2025.
He was jailed in October 2025.
Brendon’s mother, Sophie Staddon, was cleared of all charges.
During the trial, jurors heard that Brendon sustained ‘catastrophic’ and fatal injuries, including a shattered skull and multiple broken bones.
The Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) commissioned an independent review to assess the multi-agency practices leading up to Brendon's death.
Although concerns were raised about Gunter’s behaviour in the hospital, the report concluded these were not significant enough to warrant restricting his access to his son, and it could "not have been forseen" that Brendon would be murdered by this father in a hospital setting.
The report made several recommendations for improving how agencies work together and share information.
It also said there were opportunities for improvements to ongoing multi-agency risk assessments that take into account new and ongoing factors and services could have worked more closely with wider family members.
The SSCP identified actions already taken including the creation of a new tool to share information between agencies and identify what additional safeguarding support is needed for vulnerable babies during their stay in hospital as well as changes to training for staff.
A spokesperson for the SSCP said: “The murder of Brendon Staddon was a hugely distressing incident and our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with Brendon’s family and all those who were impacted by his tragic death.
“It’s important we make every effort to learn from the events that led up to Brendon’s death. This is a comprehensive report which highlights areas for improvement as well as good practice. We have already actioned many of the recommended changes and will ensure this learning is shared widely.”