Life sentence for man who shook girlfriend's five-month-old baby to death

A man has been jailed for life for murdering his girlfriend's five-month-old baby in a "rage-filled" attack while she was out at work.

Jensen-Lee Dougal was shaken so violently his injuries were described by experts as the worst they had ever seen.

The "happy baby" suffered "catastrophic" injuries to his brain, spine and eyes after the assault by Thomas Morgan, 29, from Gorseinon, Swansea, in March 2024. He maintained his innocence until his arrest 15 months later.

The baby's mother, Jordan Dougal, read out a victim impact statement, saying that she lived every day with "overwhelming grief, trauma and pain", adding "I have been given a life sentence of grief".

"The violent shaking with Jensen-Lee's head moving back and forward quickly accelerating and decelerating may have been very brief but it was hard enough to cause his extensive internal head injuries that caused his death," said the judge, Mrs Justice Stacey.

Morgan had claimed throughout the trial, and until his eventual arrest in July 2025, that the injuries were caused as he tried to save the baby from choking to death.

He attended Jensen-Lee's funeral and cremation on 24 May, 2024. Members of Jensen-Lee's family were interviewed by police as the full extent of the baby's injuries became apparent to police.

He was not arrested on suspicion of causing the injuries to Jensen-Lee until July 2025.

During the four-week trial the jury heard how Morgan was regarded as Jensen-Lee's stepfather after starting a relationship with the baby's mother, Jordan Dougal in December 2023, and moving into the family home in January 2024.

Dougal said her son was "a really happy baby" and that she "never had any issues" with Morgan caring for her son, adding she thought she had found their family.

Morgan was left alone with Jensen-Lee at the family house in Clydach, Swansea, while Dougal went to work on 30 March 2024.

The jury heard how Morgan claimed he feared the baby was choking on his own sick and put his fingers in the baby's mouth to remove any blockage. He said Jensen-Lee's body had seemed limp when he picked him up and so he "shook him".

Expert witnesses dismissed Morgan's defence, saying Jensen-Lee's brain injuries were "catastrophic", with multiple fractures and haemorrhaging behind his eyes.

Professor Stavros Stivaros, from Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, said anybody witnessing such a violent attack on a baby "would have crossed a street to stop it happening".

The doctor believed Jensen-Lee would have been rendered unconscious almost immediately by the severity of the shaking, adding the injuries could never have been caused by rough play or an attempt at resuscitation.

Jensen-Lee was taken to University Hospital Wales in Cardiff and suffered a cardiac arrest. He died on 31 March 2024 in his mother's arms.

Jordan Dougal explained to the court why she came to the decision to switch off her son's life support machine.

She said "He would just be stuck to a machine for the rest of his life", adding "I didn't want to remember him like that when he was such a happy baby."

'I never heard my child say he loved me'

Jordan Dougal was supported by a member of her family as she read her victim impact statement.

She said that Jensen-Lee "was a baby who loved being sung to, being cuddled by his mammy and his nanny and bampy."

She told the court, "I never heard my child say he loved me, call me mammy, take his first steps or start school."

The mother said Morgan was "trusted to look after Jensen-Lee" and she now has "overwhelming grief, trauma or emotional pain, getting through the day feels impossible."

The court heard how Dougal felt the defendant hadn't showed any genuine remorse as he continued with his life.

She added that Morgan had announced the gender of his new partner's baby on the anniversary of Jensen-Lee's death.

Sentencing Morgan to life with a minimum of 18 years and 136 days before can apply for parole due to the time he has spent on remand the judge, Mrs Justice Stacey, told Morgan he had murdered an "utterly defenceless baby" who weighed just 12 and a half pounds (6kg).

She said "After you had dropped Ms Dougal off at work and returned your own children you became embroiled in an increasingly heated row conducted over WhatsApp with the mother of your children.

"It began as you were driving home with Jensen-Lee asleep in his car seat and continued for 90 minutes. I am sure that the message exchange of 82 abusive messages between you made you angry and annoyed."

The judge told Morgan that Jensen-Lee's family will never know what happened between the time he arrived home at 4.30pm and the time he first called Jordan Dougal at 5.20pm.

"We have no way of knowing exactly what happened as you have lied to the police and to everyone that you have spoken to since."

Mrs Justice Stacey listed the injuries found on Jensen-Lee's body, including "a subdural bleed, hypoxic ischaemic injury and extensive retinal damage."

Jensen-Lee also had fractures to his elbow and both ankles "consistent with flailing limbs during a shaking incident."

After the hearing, NSPCC Cymru assistant director Carl Harris said it had been a brutal attack.

"It is heart-breaking to think about what Jensen-Lee endured in his final moments, and our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him during his short life.

"It is a sad reality that babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to abuse because they are completely dependent on the adults around them for care and protection."