Monster shook new girlfriend’s baby son to death while she went to get her nails done

Kieran Humphreys, 33, was left to look after six-month-old Archie after just a week of dating Saskia Woodbridge – he was found guilty of murdering the baby by shaking him to death

A man has been found guilty of murdering his teenage girlfriend’s baby son by shaking him to death in a fit of rage. Kieran Humphreys, 33, was entrusted with the care of six-month-old Archie after only a week of dating Saskia Woodbridge.

She left her son with Humphreys at a friend’s house in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, while she went to have her nails done on February 9 last year. Luton Crown Court heard that Humphreys, who had stayed up all night playing Call Of Duty on his Xbox, “gripped and shook” the infant, causing a fatal brain injury when he lost his temper.

Instead of immediately calling for an ambulance, the defendant took Archie, who had suffered a fatal brain injury and fractured ribs, to a relative’s home. Bedfordshire Police stated that Humphreys had ‘violently’ shaken Archie and that ‘a defenceless baby lost his life at the hands of someone who should have been caring for him’.

In a tribute, Archie’s mum Ms Woodbridge, 20, said: “Archie came into this world two months early. He fought hard for his life in his first few weeks. Kieran claimed to love Archie, but his actions were the opposite. Kieran ripped Archie from this world, in an evilness that is unmatched.

“All my life, all I ever wanted – more than anything – was to become a mum. Archie gave me this wish – he made me a mum. Kieran has taken away the most precious thing in my world. I once told Kieran that I couldn’t imagine losing a child. Through his actions, and his actions alone, he has ensured that I now know the agony of this.”, reports the Mirror.

“Archie was a real boy who had birthdays to come, milestones to reach and people to cheer him on and watch him as he grew. He was, is, and always will be loved and cherished. No one can take that away.”

Humphreys was convicted of murdering a child under one and child cruelty by a jury, having already admitted to perverting the course of justice. He awaits sentencing at a future hearing.

The court was told Ms Woodbridge had encountered Humphreys in a shop roughly a week before her son’s death. The pair had begun a relationship and Ms Woodbridge, then 19, had left Archie in Humphreys’ care whilst she visited the nail salon.

Emergency services were summoned approximately 90 minutes after the injuries were inflicted, with Bedfordshire Police alerted by the ambulance service to concerns for a baby’s welfare just before 5.30pm.

Archie was rushed to hospital where he passed away shortly afterwards. Humphreys deceived police, claiming Archie had been with his mother at the Bromley Gardens address when he fell ill, and that paramedics had been called immediately.

Evidence suggests that Archie was violently shaken, resulting in a fatal brain injury and broken ribs. Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit commented: “This was a deeply distressing case in which a defenceless baby lost his life at the hands of someone who should have been caring for him.

“Kieran Humphreys’ actions reveal a distinctly self-serving approach, as his primary concern was to save himself rather than prioritising Archie’s welfare by attempting to cover his tracks.

“My thoughts are with Archie’s family at this difficult time – nothing can bring him back, but I hope today’s verdict brings some measure of justice and peace. We will always pursue the truth in cases like this, no matter how complex or painful, to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable.”