Mehmet Tufan sentenced to six-and-a-half years for manslaughter of Leo Williams who died aged four from catastrophic injuries
A father who violently shook his five-week-old baby son in a jealous rage, leaving him blind and brain damaged before his death four years later, has been jailed for manslaughter.
Mehmet Tufan, 30, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after admitting to killing Leo Williams, who died aged four in December 2022 from the catastrophic injuries inflicted upon him as a newborn.
The court heard how Tufan, then 23, flew into a rage on 14 April 2018 after becoming jealous whilst his girlfriend enjoyed a night out with friends in Kirkby, Merseyside. Text messages revealed his increasing frustration after seeing a Snapchat video of a man trying to dance with her.
In what Judge Andrew Menary KC described as a “momentary loss of control,” Tufan violently shook baby Leo “with considerable force” whilst alone with him at home, causing devastating injuries that would define the remainder of the child’s tragically short life.
A Night of Horror
The horrifying incident unfolded as Leo’s mother enjoyed what prosecutor Andrew Haslam KC said was a “perfectly entitled” and “welcome night out” after recently giving birth. Tufan, who worked as a transport operator with responsibility for several men, had been extremely reluctant to take sole care of his son for the first time.
Text messages between the couple revealed Tufan’s mounting anxiety and jealousy throughout the evening. At around 10:30pm, after viewing the Snapchat video showing “a lad asking her to dance,” he messaged one of his girlfriend’s friends “asking what was going on.”
Shortly after midnight, Tufan texted his partner claiming he was calling 999 as Leo was “having major fits.” At 12:45am, he sent another message saying he had removed a hair from the baby’s throat. By 1:40am, he contacted North West Ambulance Service reporting his son was “hiccupping, not breathing and profusely sweating.”
Paramedics arrived at 1:48am to find Leo unresponsive. The baby had gone into cardiac arrest but was resuscitated and rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Catastrophic Injuries
Medical examinations revealed the devastating extent of Leo’s injuries. The five-week-old had suffered an extensive brain injury, blood in his spinal cord, and extensive retinal haemorrhages that left him permanently blind.
The violent shaking had robbed Leo of his sight and the use of his legs. He was admitted to intensive care where he remained for months, with his family uncertain whether he would survive.
Initially, Tufan feigned innocence, claiming the infant had become unresponsive due to a hair lodged in his throat. However, he later admitted to shaking Leo “with considerable force” in frustration during the argument with the baby’s mother.
Four Years of Suffering
Despite his catastrophic injuries, Leo was eventually able to leave hospital and return home, where his devoted mother and family provided round-the-clock care. For four years, they watched the little boy struggle with pain and severe disabilities caused by his father’s violence.
In December 2022, Leo died at Claire House Hospice from the injuries sustained as a baby. He was just four years old.
Mother’s Heartbreak
In a deeply emotional victim impact statement read to the court, Leo’s mother described her unimaginable loss: “Life will never be the same without Leo. He was my everything and in a way he still is. I suffered greatly following this incident but knew I had to get up each day and continue fighting just like my boy.”
She continued: “Leo kept going. I will forever walk around with a piece of my heart missing, hoping that this piece will be replaced when we meet again in a world where Leo no longer has pain, where he is free to run up to me and hug me just like it always should have been. I will miss you forever my beautiful boy.”
Addressing Tufan directly, she said: “My world completely shattered that day. Even to this day, everything still feels like a blur. I can’t process or comprehend the devastation and trauma that Mehmet caused.”
“Leo was just five weeks old when you attacked him. I want you to know how Leo struggled. I need you to know how he was left to live after that night. I lived every single day caring for Leo making him as comfortable and as loved as he possibly could be.”
She added: “It was incredibly painful for me and my family to see Leo in so much pain and suffering and knowing I could not take that pain away from him.”
Previous Conviction and New Charges
Tufan was initially sentenced to two years in prison in June 2019 for Section 20 assault. Following Leo’s death, a further investigation was launched which led to Tufan being charged with manslaughter earlier this year.
He pleaded guilty to the charge in July. Appearing in court wearing a grey Montirex tracksuit top, Tufan was visibly emotional throughout the proceedings, burying his head in his hands as details of his crime were recounted.
Judge’s Condemnation
Sentencing Tufan, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “The victim of your offence was your son, Leo Williams, who was just five weeks old at the time that you inflicted upon him catastrophic brain injuries.
The judge noted that Leo’s mother “was plainly perfectly entitled to go out that evening with her friends. She had recently given birth. For her, it would have been a welcome night out.”
Judge Menary reduced the sentence from seven-and-a-half years to six-and-a-half years to account for Tufan’s previous two-year prison term for the assault conviction.
Defence Claims Remorse
Janet Ironfield, defending, told the court that her client “carried an emotional burden as a result of his actions,” suffering from nightmares and “flashbacks to his unlawful act of violence.”
She said Tufan had been “a young man, wholly inexperienced in parenting and childcare” at the time of the offence, and had been “extremely reluctant” and “anxious” about taking sole responsibility for Leo.
The court heard that following his release from prison, Tufan had turned to cocaine “in order to cope with his emotions, feelings and guilt,” though he had since sought help from an agency.
Police Response
Detective Sergeant David Bruce of Merseyside Police said: “This is a truly tragic case that resulted in the loss of a courageous young boy. When Leo was only a baby, he sustained life-changing injuries at the hands of the very person who should have been keeping him safe.”
“Tufan was alone when he was supposed to be caring for his son. Instead, his actions left Leo in intensive care for months. The injuries sustained by Leo changed his life and also the lives of his family, who continued to love and care for him in the most challenging of circumstances until the very end.”
He added: “It’s heartbreaking that Leo passed away at such a young age when he had his whole life ahead of him. Our thoughts remain with his family as they continue to grieve this unimaginable loss.”
The case serves as a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of momentary losses of control and the vulnerability of infants to violent shaking, which can cause permanent brain damage or death even when no external injuries are visible.
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