A mum paid tribute to her four-month-old ‘blue-eyed angel’ as the father was jailed for life for her murder.
Jordan Lee, 29, was given a minimum of 16 years in prison on Friday at Preston Crown Court.
Lee was looking after baby Willow at home in Blackpool while her mum Jade was at work on December 3.
As the day went on he became increasingly frustrated at her crying and was heard shouting at her to ‘shut up’.
Prosecutors said neighbours heard a baby crying and a series of bangs before the house fell silent.
Police said Willow suffered extensive bruising to her ear, face and arm as Lee carried out a ‘horrendous series of assaults’ on his daughter.
A pathologist found this was likely to have been the result of gripping, pinching or squeezing, punching or slapping and would have caused ‘immense pain and suffering’.
Afterwards, Lee ran upstairs with the baby in his arms and showed her to his brother, who said she looked ‘unresponsive and floppy’.
Willow was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where she died three days later surrounded by her mum, grandparents and great-grandma.
In a police interview, Lee claimed Willow suffered her injuries after falling from the sofa while he played Call of Duty on Xbox.
But he was convicted by a jury after a Home Office pathologist found that the baby’s death was a direct consequence of a traumatic head injury.
In a heart-breaking statement, mum Jade Bell said: ‘Willow was such a beautiful, happy baby that had the best cheeky smile, and that smile would always cheer you up and light up the room.
‘We all miss her dearly and there are not enough words to express that.
‘To have lost her at such a young age and in the way we have has impacted myself and my family so much and my life will never be the same without my blue-eyed angel.
‘The first time anyone met her they instantly fell in love, she was always so happy and smiley.’
Detective inspector Mark Dickinson said: ‘Lee carried out a horrendous series of assaults on his daughter, leaving her with catastrophic head injuries. These injuries led to her death three days later.
‘Since then Lee has refused to admit his guilt, claiming repeatedly that Willow fell from the sofa.
‘As the medical evidence emerged, he modified his account, claiming that another accident occurred as he carried Willow upstairs after the original fall.
‘Thankfully the jury saw through his lies and he has now been found guilty of and sentenced for Willow’s murder.
‘Willow’s mother and wider family have been left utterly heartbroken by her death and I have no doubt they will never fully recover from this horrendous loss.’
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