Craig Rowland, a 29-year-old resident of Millington Park, Portadown in Co Armagh, has been handed a life sentence following a guilty verdict for murdering his son. The decision was reached by a jury at Belfast Crown Court after over six hours of careful deliberation.
Rowland’s crime resulted in the death of his three-year-old son, Lewis Oliver Rowland, in October 2018. Lewis was violently shaken by his father in November 2015, at just 13 weeks old, which caused severe, life-altering brain damage.
The court trial, which lasted four weeks, included evidence presented that Craig Rowland and Laura Graham (31) took their infant son to Craigavon Area Hospital on November 20th, 2015. Upon their arrival, medical staff were informed that Lewis had been unwell and irritable the prior evening.
A CT scan of the critically ill baby revealed significant brain injuries that ultimately led to enduring and substantial disability. Further medical evaluations conducted on the same day showed that Lewis also had a spinal injury, a mending rib fracture, and multiple bruises around his neck, head, and chest.
Owing to the extreme nature of his injuries, Lewis was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast later that day. There he was treated for bleeding to his brain. Following discharge from the hospital, Lewis was placed in foster care and lived with severe disabilities. Unable to walk, talk or eat normally, Lewis was fed through a nasal tube, however, he was still able to express happiness by smiling at his foster parents.
Lewis’s life tragically ended on October 20th, 2018, due to complications following surgery. The prosecution, backed by evidence from multiple medical experts, asserted that the non-accidental and severe brain injuries Lewis suffered from being shaken were a major factor in his death.
At the trial, Rowland confessed to occasionally lying to law enforcement following the death of his son. He acknowledged his son had suffered injuries, however, he refuted being the one who caused them.
There was no visible emotional reaction from Rowland as he stood in Belfast’s Crown Court awaiting his verdict of guilt.
Life imprisonment was the sentence handed down by Mr Justice O’Hara. He asserted that a hearing would be arranged promptly to decide the least amount of time he would serve before being subjected for parole consideration.
Addressing the jury, Mr Justice O’Hara stated, the case had been uneasy to preside over, due to its nature of infant mortality. He ensured that if they required assistance or support, it would be made accessible to them.
Rowland expressed his disdain for the verdict, loudly proclaiming that ‘the verdict is a f***ing farce’ as the jury, made up of eight men and four women, commenced their exit. This behaviour resulted in a stern expression from Mr Justice O’Hara to defence lawyer, Seamus McNeill, to discuss his client’s conduct.