Father is convicted for second time of murdering his baby daughter

A KILLER father has been convicted for a second time of battering his baby daughter to death.

Craig Jamieson shattered four-month-old Abbie’s skull during an attack at his flat in Glasgow’s Scotstoun.

Jamieson was originally found guilty of the murder following a trial in April 2010 but the conviction was quashed after appeal judges ruled the jury had been misdirected.

However, the 32-year-old was prosecuted again and once more pinned the blame on the baby’s mother, Nichola Haddock.

Jamieson was yesterday found guilty of murder after the retrial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He shook his head and said “oh no” as the unanimous verdict was returned. Jamieson is now back behind bars and will find out next month whether he will receive more than the original 16-year jail-term.

The court heard how Jamieson had been left alone with his daughter at his flat in the city’s Dumbarton Road on 8 February, 2008.

Ms Haddock, 31, had left that morning to study at Glasgow Caledonian University. She had left Jamieson in bed but, instead of caring for Abbie, he later attacked the child, leaving her with a “catastrophic” head fracture.

Ms Haddock got a call from Jamieson, saying that Abbie was pale and had bruises on her stomach.

She rushed back but, by the time she returned, her daughter was almost dead. Hospital staff were unable to save Abbie. The baby had also suffered massive abdominal injuries. Experts said Abbie had been hit off a hard surface like a wall or worktop.

Jamieson was later charged with his daughter’s death, but Ms Haddock initially stood by him. The jury heard she then went on to have a second child with Jamieson before they finally split in December 2008.

It was around that time that Ms Haddock learned the truth of how her daughter died.

During both trials, Jamieson blamed his ex-lover for injuring Abbie. Ms Haddock – who returned from her home city of Belfast to give evidence – broke down in tears when Jamieson’s claims were put to her.

Prosecutor Andrew Miller asked her: “Did you deliberately harm your daughter in any way?” Ms Haddock sobbed uncontrollably and replied: “No.”

Jamieson, of the city’s Knightswood, pretended to the jury that he was a doting dad who “loved” his daughter.

But this latest trial heard how he had once been too hungover to accompany sick Abbie to hospital in January 2008.

He had also once stormed home in a rage after a night-out with Ms Haddock had been cut short because Abbie had been crying.

His QC Gordon Jackson asked: “Did you hurt this child?” Jamieson said: “Not at all – I certainly did not hit her.”

Lord Matthews remanded Jamieson in custody and deferred sentencing until next month.