Babysitter faces jail for shaking baby

A babysitter who shook an eight-month-old baby so violently that she was left with bleeding on the brain and could suffer life-long consequences was yesterday facing jail.

Edinburgh High Court

Syeda Begum, 28, was employed by the family of the child – who cannot be named due to her age – as a baby­sitter so they could continue running their small business in Aberdeen.

On New Year’s Day 2017, Begum called the family to tell them something was wrong.

The child was found “floppy and blue” and was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition where she was having trouble breathing and found to have bleeding on the brain and in her eyes.

She suffered seizures in the days afterwards and was not deemed fit to return home for nearly a fortnight.

Medics told the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen that the girl – now aged two – “potentially could” have problems with intelligence, learning, memory and concentration in future.

Dr Lynne McDonald, a specialist general paediatrics and part of the child protection team at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, said scans suggested “deliberate harm” had come to the child.

A jury found Begum guilty by majority of assault to severe injury and danger of life. Sentence was deferred until 9 April at the High Court in Edinburgh.