A BABY boy was left with “catastrophic” injuries after being shaken with “significant” force, a court heard.

Parents Benjamin Welsh and Elisha Wilson, both aged 21, appeared at Manchester Crown Court.

Welsh pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and both pleaded guilty to cruelty to person under-16 years, the nature of neglect being failure to seek medical attention for the injuries sustained.

The two took their child, who was only three months old, to the Royal Bolton Hospital on August 9 last year.

The baby, who cannot be named for legal reasons, quickly became floppy and unresponsive and was rushed to the resuscitation unit where CPR was started.

Welsh, of Whittle Grove in Walkden, and Wilson of Irwell Avenue, Little Hulton, claimed their child was well two days before but had become ‘chesty’.

Welsh said he performed CPR on the baby the morning they took him to hospital.

Medics noticed that the baby had multiple bruises on his body, including a large one on his knee and ears, as well as the chest and abdomen.

A CT scan revealed multiple brain injuries and injuries to the boy’s eyes as well as his liver. The baby was immediately rushed to Manchester Children’s Hospital and the police were called.

At first Welsh said he had “no idea” how the baby got his injuries, but thought it could have been due to the CPR. But when asked about the injuries to his legs he said: “I don’t know, what can I say, kids hurt themselves,” according to prosecutor Mark Kellett.

Mr Kellett, said: “Dr O’Connor, the named doctor for safeguarding at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, was of the opinion that the combination of injuries was highly indicative of serious and significant inflicted trauma.”

Both parents were subsequently arrested.

Wilson’s phone record showed Google searches on August 8 and 9 such as ‘can throwing n shaking a baby cause brain damage’, ‘shaking baby cause them to go floppy and affect eyes’, and ‘what happens when u strangle a baby’.

Welsh was interviewed by police when he said that he had mental health issues and was receiving medication and that he “struggled to cope with a new born baby”.

Wilson said in police interview that the baby had woken up on August 8 crying and that Welsh had become angry and started shouting at him to “shut up”. Wilson said Welsh hit the baby near the hip, grabbed him and “slammed him to the floor with force” before shaking him.

Doctors concluded that the babies injuries were not as a result of just CRP but likely indicative of “shaking with significant force”.

A statement by a spokesman for the baby’s current carers said: “We are all worried about what the future holds. He will require a high level of continuous care throughout his life.”

“It is not yet known how his vision, and hearing will develop, or whether he will be able to smell or taste. It is expected that he will require a peg tube for feeding.

“This wonderful little boy, who amazes us all everyday will tragically never live a life that is anywhere near what we can consider normal. He will require a high level of continuous care throughout his life, and he will never get to enjoy the things that children do, like play with friends, play football, climb trees.

“We do not know his life expectancy, but the social work and medical teams working with him, along with the foster carers are doing their absolute best to make life as pain free and as pleasurable as possible for him, and showing him that he is loved and safe.”

Defending Welsh, Anya Lewis, said that he “deeply regrets and accepts responsibility” for what happened.

Judge Patrick Field QC commented that this was a “helpless baby” and that this was the “criminal infliction of catastrophic injuries on a baby”.

He adjourned the hearing to pass sentence on Tuesday.