Father guilty of killing baby son in Somerset
Daniel Gunter, 27, has been on trial for the murder of Brendon Staddon.
Last updated 24th Jul 2025
The father of a two-week-old baby have been found guilty of murdering him in hospital.
Daniel Gunter, 27 killed Brendon Staddon at Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset on March 5 last year.
A jury of eight men and four women reached the verdict today at Bristol Crown Court.
Sophie Staddon, 23, was also on trial accused of murder, but was cleared by the jury.
Gunter denied the charges against them of murder and causing or allowing Brendon's death.
Nadine Partridge, a chief inspector at Avon and Somerset Police who worked on the case, said: Brendon's injuries were "described as injuries of a high impact like falling off a multi-storey building."
We heard in court that nurses were alerted to Brendon, after Staddon told them he had gone cold.
Nadine says from their investigation nurses "returned to cot space one and that it became immediately obvious there had been an assault on Brendon."
A female juror was visibly upset as the foreman returned the verdicts and as she wiped tears away, she was comforted by two fellow jury members.
The jury previously found Staddon not guilty of murder and cleared Gunter of causing or allowing the death of a child on the direction of the trial judge, Mr Justice Swift.
The defendants showed no emotion as the verdicts were returned.
Gunter, of no fixed address, will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
Remanding Gunter into custody, the judge told him: "Daniel Gunter you have been found guilty of murder. You will be remanded into custody pending the sentencing hearing.
"Sophie Staddon you have been acquitted by the jury. Your bail will no longer be necessary and you are free to go."