A father has been jailed for eight years  after his seven-week-old daughter died from a ‘chilling catalogue of injuries’.

Lee Davison, 29, was sentenced on Friday  after being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of his daughter  Kristal.

The tiny baby died on April 13 last year  after being rushed to hospital from their home with bleeding behind the eyes, brain damage and broken  ribs and legs.

Lee Davison (right) was jailed for eight years after he  was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of his baby daughter Kristal  (left) who suffered a ‘chilling catalogue of injuries ‘

Mr Justice Andrew Smith told Davison, who  wept in the dock as he was sentenced, that although it could not be said he had  caused his daughter’s death, he had failed to protect her.

He told Davison, who has 11 previous  convictions for 15 offences, that he must have been aware his daughter was  suffering and was therefore responsible for allowing Kristal to die.

Kristal’s mother, Jessica Hopkinson, was  cleared of the same charge following a four-week trial at Leeds Crown  Court.

The judge told Davison: ‘Even if you didn’t  injure her yourself, I’m sure you must have been aware of these [injuries] by  the beginning of April.

‘You did nothing and you should have done.  You bear responsibility because you knew she was being hurt and couldn’t face up  to doing anything about it.

‘If you, her father, had protected her, she  would have lived.

‘Your sentence must reflect her suffering, in  particular the last two weeks of  her life.’

The judge said that in the first  three weeks  of her short life, Kristal suffered damage to her femur and  head, which caused  bleeding behind the eyes.

He said the ‘chilling catalogue of injuries’  showed Kristal was seriously hurt on at least five occasions.

Davison called an ambulance on the morning of  April 12 last year reporting that Kristal was gasping for breath at their home  in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

When paramedics arrived, the baby was found  to be pale, limp and lifeless  and was taken to hospital, where she died the  following day.

Mr Justice Smith said: ‘Around the second  week of March she suffered rib fractures – 12 in total.

‘Around the time she was squeezed by somebody  holding her under the arms, probably someone acting out of anger and temper. Two  bones in her left leg were broken.

‘And she suffered bone damage – her skull was  broken – someone had hit or banged her head on something hard.

‘She suffered bleeding in her eyes and brain  by shaking.’

The judge said Hopkinson was the ‘dominant  character’ in the house and was abusive to his partner, who is nearly ten years  younger than him.

He said: ‘She was young. She had no  confidence about being a mother or anything else.

‘At times you were abusive and violent  towards her. You couldn’t keep your  temper and you took it out on  her.

‘I’m not saying you never had any real  affection for her. I think in your way you did.

‘I also think you were pleased when Krystal  was born and you were generally fond of her.’

Justice Andrew Smith told Davison at Leeds Crown Court  that Kristal would have lived if he had protected her

He accepted that Davison is of a low  intellect, but said that he must have been aware of the injuries adding: ‘It  really would beggar belief and defy the jury’s verdict if it were any other  way.’

Hopkinson and Davison started a  relationship  in early 2011 with Hopkinson falling pregnant in May that  year, after which  they were seen by social workers.

The court was told that Davison had  previously been given community orders after beating up a former girlfriend on  three occasions.

In August 2004, when he was 20, he pleaded  guilty to common assault.

In June 2006, when he was 21, he pleaded  guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, after he headbutted his then  girlfriend – knocking her unconscious.

And on a third occasion, in May 2007, he was  given a community order for assault occasioning actual bodily harm after he  rowed with his then-girlfriend over a pizza.

He pushed her into a wall, and when she  struck out at him to defend herself, he punched her in the face, causing her to  fall onto the floor – where he continued to strike her.

She was left with broken ribs after the  attack.

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