A father who violently shook his 10-month old baby to death before posing in a family photograph tenderly kissing the brain-dead infant has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Martin Saunders, 26, critically injured his son Ryan Kennedy at his Bidwill home in Sydney’s west in 2019, leaving the baby boy on life support in hospital.
At the time Saunders’ loved ones, including his ex-partner Rochelle Kennedy, were not aware the drug and alcohol dependent dad was the one responsible for the baby’s horrific injuries.
Saunders and Ms Kennedy waited beside little Ryan’s hospital bed and snapped a heartbreaking photo of them kissing their son on both checks, as he lay motionless with a breathing tube attached.
Two days later baby Ryan’s life support was turned off and Saunders eventually confessed to police.
Martin Saunders, 26, critically injured his son Ryan Kennedy at his Bidwill home in Sydney’s west in 2019, leaving the baby boy on life support in hospital. Pictured: Downing Centre Court, Sydney
He told Downing Centre District Court on Thursday via video link that he was sorry for the attack, the Daily Telegraph reported.
‘I do definitely apologise with everything that I can, I can never pay this back, it’s why we’re here today, I apologise to everyone involved,’ he said.
‘Anyone who had to deal with this is because of my actions, it’s pretty horrifying.’
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Saunders said he felt ‘horrible and disgusted’ knowing he was the one responsible for his son’s death.
The court heard that at the time Saunders had been struggling with alcohol and cannabis addiction and found it difficult to look after children, having no access to child care.
He has remained behind bars since being charged and served time at some of the state’s most notorious prisons.
Saunders was repeatedly bashed during his time in Long Bay and Goulburn jails and had to be put into segregation for his own safety.
Defence barrister Paul Coady said his client is now going to church and has also begun a TAFE course while in custody.
But Ms Kennedy, 29, says she will never forgive Saunders for stealing her son’s life.
However she revealed that for the sake of her other children, she still maintains contact with Saunders.
‘I can’t sit there and hold it against him, because we’ve got other children together, it wouldn’t be fair to my other children if I just sat there and spoke negatively about him and constantly put him down,’ she said.
Saunders will be sentenced on August 26.
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