A MAN accused of killing his baby and causing grievous bodily harm to the child's mother has been found guilty of both charges.

A MAN accused of killing his baby and causing grievous bodily harm to the child's mother has been found guilty of both charges.

Duncan Mills, of London Road, Ipswich, has today been found guilty of the murder of four-week-old Luigi Askew and GBH against 23-year-old Samantha Askew.

In a statement read to the press on the steps of Ipswich Crown Court this afternoon, Samantha's mother Jackie Winton - Luigi's grandmother - said justice had been done.

“We would like to thank all the paramedic and hospital staff who tried to save baby Luigi and who attended to Samantha's terrible injuries,” she said. “We would also like to extend a big thank you to Mr and Mrs Banthorpe who went to the aid of Samantha on that fateful day in May last year.

“We also give our gratitude to the police who have been a tremendous support throughout this horrific ordeal and the legal team that has ensured justice has been done.

“We as a family would now like to lay our baby Luigi to rest and be allowed to grieve in private.”

In a further addition to the statement, Mrs Winton read out the words of Samantha.

“My Luigi is a star in the sky for myself to look up to and he will never be forgotten. When night time comes he will be watching his mummy looking up and smiling at him,” she read.

Detective Inspector Stuart McCallum, heading the case, said: “All deaths are tragic but the death of a defenceless baby who had his whole life before him is all the more traumatic.

“This was a complex case of domestic abuse, which involved close liaison with the Suffolk Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) throughout.

The conviction in this case is testimony to the determination and professionalism of the officers involved and will hopefully offer the family some form of closure. Our sympathies remain with Luigi's family after what has been an emotional trial.”

A Suffolk CPS spokesperson said it was a tragic case.

They added: “We are pleased that despite suffering serious domestic violence, the baby's mother was able to put her trust in the police and the prosecution, and tell the jury what happened.

“We will always do our best to support victims of domestic violence, and persons who commit it will face the full force of the law. Our sympathies go out to the baby's family.”

Judge John Devaux deferred Mills' sentencing for eight weeks, to allow for a medical report to be carried out.

The court had been told this afternoon that the jury had reached their guilty verdicts on both counts after all of them agreed.