A man who killed his girlfriend’s 11-month-old baby in Keady in November 2019 has been told he will spend at least 13 years in prison.
Sharyar Ali, 34, who had an address on Westenra Terrace in the town of Monaghan, killed baby Hunter McGleenon while she was supposed to be caring for him.
Medical evidence confirmed that Hunter had 19 cases of head and neck trauma.
Prosecutors have said they will consider an appeal against the sentence as “unduly lenient”.
The court heard that on the night of the murder, Hunter’s mother, Nicole, had gone to her dying grandmother’s house.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Hunter’s aunt, Coleen McGleenon, described him as a “shining light”.
She said: “My sister’s whole world came crashing down.
“Nicole didn’t want to live because she just wanted to be with her son.”
She added: “I don’t think there is justice when it comes to losing someone you love to murder because nothing given will feel justified.”
The court heard that, while caring for the baby, Ali drove to various mobile phone shops and casinos in Monaghan and Louth, often leaving Hunter in the car.
Police gathered evidence of Ali’s movements before the murder using CCTV footage.
The footage shows Ali entering a casino in Castleblayney, where he is seen playing and losing money over a period of two and a half hours.
During this time, Hunter is left alone in a car outside.
After sentencing, Detective Inspector Mark Gibson said, “It is later that night, after we have returned to the house in Keady, that Hunter’s young life is taken from him.”
When Ali arrived at Nicole’s grandmother’s house the next morning, he said Hunter was not breathing.
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She was confirmed dead at Craigavon Area Hospital later that morning.
Ali, who is originally from Pakistan, was due to go on trial in April but pleaded guilty after a jury was set up.
The explanation for his death was that Hunter had fallen off a couch while his diaper was being changed.
This version of events was dismissed by the judge at Newry Crown Court.
“His conduct with his care was extremely reckless. He went about his business with mobile phones and went to casinos. He left Hunter in the car,” the judge said.
Medical evidence confirmed bruising to various parts of Hunter’s body and significant internal injuries caused by blunt force trauma.
“They were not caused by Hunter falling from a sofa. Death was caused by head trauma. He has not yet offered a credible explanation for the injuries,” the judge added.
“You had responsibility for Hunter that day. His mother had a hard time and you agreed to take care of him.
“There may have been an incident on the sofa, I don’t know. But it’s clear that at some point you lost control.
The Public Ministry (PPS) said it was considering appealing the sentence for being too lenient.
In a statement, he said that while sentencing was a matter for the judges, the director of public prosecutions may refer cases to the Court of Appeal “on the grounds that they may be unduly lenient.”
“An unduly lenient sentence is one that falls outside the range of sentences that a judge, taking into account all relevant factors and taking into account the orientation of the sentence, could reasonably consider appropriate.
“We are considering whether there is a legal basis to refer the judgment in this case to the Court of Appeals for consideration.”
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