A Wimborne dad downed a bottle of vodka before beating his 10-week-old son to death, a court heard yesterday.

Craig Tattum, 35, caused “severe” head injures to his new baby Ethan by “hitting him and probably shaking him”, prosecutor Jane Miller QC told Winchester Crown Court. The jury was told paramedics found the baby with two black eyes when they arrived at Tattum’s Gordon Road flat in the early hours of July 4 last year.

Tattum, who denies manslaughter, had been looking after the baby while his wife slept, but was around three times the drink-drive limit when paramedics arrived on the scene, the court heard.

Miss Miller said: “Mr Tattum quite clearly got drunk that evening and injured baby Ethan.

“The head injuries caused by the trauma were severe and caused Ethan’s rapid death.”

The court was told Tattum’s wife, Louise, made the 999 call on the night of her son’s death, telling the operator Ethan had stopped breathing.

When paramedics arrived they found Tattum to be hysterical and reeking of alcohol, said Miss Miller.

Police officers and Poole Hospital staff subsequently found Tattum, who works for Brandon Tool Hire in Wimborne, to act “aggressively” throughout the night, the jury heard.

He accused paramedics of causing the bruising to Ethan’s face and said he would “kick off” if they didn’t act quickly, said Miss Miller.

He also told them to “slap him on his back or bottom” to get him to breathe, and later told doctors to “shake” the baby, the court heard.

Ethan was pronounced dead just after 2am, an hour after the initial 999 call, and Tattum was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter at the hospital.

Despite initially telling officers he had drunk just one large bottle of beer that night, he later admitted in interview sinking most of the 70cl bottle of vodka, the hearing was told.

Tattum told police he had gone to make up a bottle for his crying son and came back to find him unconscious with blood pouring from his nose, the jury heard.

He suggested Ethan’s death might have been the result of some accidental light blows he received to his head while playing in the days beforehand, said Miss Miller.

The trial continues.