Tony Bartlett, 39, has been found guilty of murdering his four-week-old son Atticus by shaking him after returning home from a night out where he drank eight and a half pints, with a jury taking just over a day to reach its unanimous verdict at Bristol Crown Court.
A postman from Chard, Somerset, has been convicted of murdering his baby son in what prosecutors described as “a moment of pure violence” fuelled by alcohol. Tony Bartlett, 39, attacked four-week-old Atticus after returning home from his first night out with the baby’s mother, Evelyn Ballentyne, since the child’s birth in July 2022. Atticus suffered catastrophic internal injuries to his brain and spinal cord and died in hospital seven days later. The jury at Bristol Crown Court deliberated for just over a day before unanimously finding Bartlett guilty, with the defendant remaining largely expressionless in the dock as the verdict was delivered, while members of Atticus’ family became visibly emotional.
A Night Out That Turned to Tragedy
The court heard Bartlett and Ballentyne had gone to a comedy club together, during which Bartlett drank eight and a half pints of beer before returning home, where Evelyn’s parents had been looking after Atticus. Prosecutor Charles Row KC told the court Bartlett’s “loss of temper and frustration” was “almost certainly fuelled” by the alcohol he had consumed. “Mr Bartlett can’t admit to himself that when he was drunk, in a moment of pure violence, he did something that he will regret for the rest of his life,” Row said.
What Happened After Evelyn Left the Room
Evelyn told police that once her parents had left, she went upstairs briefly to remove her make-up, leaving Bartlett alone with Atticus on the sofa. When she returned a few minutes later, she heard the baby “make two big gulps as if he was trying to breathe but couldn’t.” She picked him up and found he had “gone all floppy” and was not breathing. Jurors heard she began screaming, handed the baby back to Bartlett and ran to get help from neighbours, while also calling emergency services and reporting a foamy substance and milk coming from Atticus’ nose. In the call, she pleaded: “My baby’s not breathing, can you please come. He’s not breathing, he’s four weeks old, please hurry.”
Medical Evidence Ruled Out Any Innocent Explanation
A medical expert told the court that Atticus’ injuries were consistent with those typically seen in “high speed traffic accidents or falling from a multi storey building.” Paediatric neurosurgeon Amedeo Calisto said the baby had suffered “significant head trauma,” with veins at the top of his head “stretched and broken.” He told jurors that no natural cause could explain the injuries, and that even rough handling of a child would not produce trauma of that severity. Expert witnesses further told the jury that the injuries could not have resulted from CPR or attempts to resuscitate the baby, and prosecutors argued there was no accidental explanation for what had happened — the injuries, they said, could only have been caused by deliberate force.
Evelyn was initially arrested during the investigation but was never charged with any offence, and later gave evidence at Bartlett’s trial.
Bartlett’s Account to Police
Bartlett claimed he had tried to give Atticus a bottle, but the baby would not drink it. He said he was “rubbing and patting” Atticus and bouncing him on his knee, believing the baby was simply gassy, before Atticus released some gas and made a gulping sound that Bartlett described as “almost like it was his last breath.” When officers asked him directly whether he had caused the injuries, he replied: “I don’t think so, no. I didn’t shake him.”
What Happens Next
Following his conviction, the judge ordered Bartlett to be remanded in custody ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for 24 July. Having been found guilty of murder, he faces a mandatory life sentence, with the judge to determine the minimum term he must serve before becoming eligible to apply for parole.
Police Praise Family’s ‘Dignity and Courage’
Avon and Somerset Police described the investigation as highly complex, involving extensive forensic and medical evidence along with specialist input from paediatric and neuropathology experts to establish how Atticus’ injuries were caused. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg said: “This is a devastating case in which a very young baby has lost his life as the direct result of a violent and cruel act. The loss of Atticus has had a profound effect on all those who loved him. Tony Bartlett was alone with Atticus when he suffered these catastrophic injuries and the medical evidence gathered during the investigation proves he was solely responsible for causing them, despite his claims of innocence. Our thoughts are very much with Atticus’s family who’ve had to endure a lengthy and complex police investigation, followed by a trial. They’ve shown great dignity and courage throughout.”
