Walsall dad jailed for manslaughter of his baby son who died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital

A Walsall man has been jailed today for 15 years for the manslaughter of his son.   Kairo Hollick was just six months old when he died in his mother’s arms at Birmingham Children’s Hospital on 12 February 2020. His life support system had to be switched off.

The child died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital three days later on February 12 in his mother's arms. A court heard Hollick committed a "grotesque breach of trust" when he caused the non-survivable brain injury by violently shaking Kairo and "bashing" his head at least twice

Kairo was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital in the early hours of Sunday 9 February 2020 by his father, David Hollick, who told doctors he had found Kairo floppy and not breathing. He said he had shaken him to revive him, but was unable to.   A scan at the hospital found Kairo had a bleed on his brain, so he was immediately blue lighted to the Children’s Hospital where their specialist facilities revealed the true extent of his injuries, which sadly were not survivable. A post mortem examination later showed Kairo had two complex skull fractures caused by blunt force trauma, resulting in catastrophic brain injury. He also had a fractured arm.   His 29-year-old father, from Primley Avenue, Walsall, initially gave no explanation for the injuries, but during a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court last month he told the jury he had fallen with Kairo in his arms. A jury cleared him of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court last month.

Kairo’s mother, who no longer lived with Kairo’s father at the time of his death, has spoken of her pain and grief at the loss her son.  She said: “It has been four years since we lost Kairo and our hearts are still as broken as the day he was so cruelly taken from us. He deserved to be safe in the care of his father and he deserved to still be here today. We are devastated to learn of the sheer brutality inflicted on Kairo and it will haunt our family for the rest of our days. Kai was the light of our lives and the embodiment of innocence and without him we are broken.    “We hope now after all of this time that he can finally rest. We will grieve him forever.    “We would like to send thanks to medical staff at both Walsall Manor Hospital and Birmingham Children’s ICU for caring for Kairo with such dignity and respect in his final days.    “My family and I would also like to thank DC Donna Kenny, our family liaison officer and the entire investigation team for the hard work, constant support and guidance over the past four years. We would also like to thank both prosecuting barristers. They have all helped us find some closure in what has been the most tragic of circumstances that any family could imagine.”

West Midlands Police statement

Chief Inspector Laura Harrison, from the force’s homicide unit, said: “The death of a child is unimaginable to comprehend, especially a defenceless six-month-old who should be in the safest hands possible with his parent.   “Our thoughts remain with Kairo’s family as they continue to grieve his loss.”