Mum trusted him to look after ‘innocent little boy’ but he was secretly a ‘monster’

Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, described how consultants concluded these injuries were "not accidental" and "as a result of more than one impact", while the "level of bruising sustained by a vulnerable baby would have required significant abusive head trauma". He thankfully survived and is expected to make a full recovery, in spite of his "significant and life threatening injuries".

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Jurors heard that Tilici, his partner of three years and their four-week-old son had been staying at the Campanile hotel on Queens Dock, having checked in at around 6.30pm on the day in question during a visit to the city. Staff reported the baby "appeared to be fine" and had no injuries at this stage.

The defendant left in order to buy milk around an hour later, also latterly returning with a bottle of honey-flavoured Jack Daniels and two cans of Red Bull. Tilici consumed all of the whisky during the course of the evening and began arguing with his girlfriend, accusing her of "being unfaithful by looking at other men".

The 29-year-old, of Chapel Street in Luton, then reportedly "got really angry" at her and began striking her to the head with the back of his palm and calling her names including "w***e" and "b****". She later left her boyfriend and baby in the hotel in order to get food from McDonald's, telling him "don't wake the baby up" as she left.

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Tilici gave her his mobile phone when she did so and video called her via Facebook^[7] Messenger from the hotel room using a tablet computer in order to "keep tabs on her". But, while waiting for her meal as she stood near to the counter, she began to hear the baby "screaming" and "two loud bangs".

She then asked the father, who was not visible on the camera at the time, "what happened, why is he crying so bad and why is the baby awake?". However, Tilici merely replied: "Oh, he's just hungry."

When the mother pointed out that he had been fed immediately before she had left the hotel, he added "no, no, it's fine" then claimed: "I just put my can on the table. That's the bangs, where it come from."

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As the mum returned to the hotel, she demanded to see the baby on the video and was able to see his "face was blue and that he had blood coming out of his mouth". At this, she ran back to their room before taking the child to reception. Tilici followed her downstairs and said in Romanian: "You’re gonna put me in jail. They’re gonna come and get me."

But he also continued to maintain "nothing happened, I just fed him". The baby's injuries were so stark one hotel employee feared he may have died. Tilici then began "behaving erratically", including shouting "give me my baby" and falling to his knees and pretending to faint. His son meanwhile was described as being in a critical condition and "falling in and out of consciousness", with staff members "courageously looking after him until paramedics arrived" and hiding him from his father in the kitchen.

Attending shortly before 10.30pm, one medic asked him "whether he had dropped the baby by accident". But Tilici, who "smelled strongly of alcohol", replied "no" and threw himself to the floor. Medical staff noted the youngster had a "purple face, was silent and had reduced consciousness". En route to Alder Hey, the baby's vital signs were described as "troublingly inconsistent".

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A specialist team was waiting for the tiny child upon his arrival at the hospital, and his condition "ultimately stabilised due to the dedicated and expert treatment he received". Doctors found there was an "absence of a plausible accidental explanation", with no injuries to the sides of the head, ears, neck or below the neckline "which might be expected if he had been dropped or fallen".

A second specialist meanwhile surmised a fall "from the bed in the hotel would result in no intracranial injury", while the amount of bleeding caused was "too severe than would be encountered in such an accident". The prosecution instead "suggested that the two loud bangs were the defendant deliberately striking [the baby] to his face, resulting in the abusive internal and external head trauma".

In a statement read out to the court during Friday's sentencing hearing, the baby's mum said: "On the 11th of December 2023, he was a happy and healthy little boy. However, that all changed that evening when I returned to the hotel and discovered he had the most horrendous facial injuries.

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"I cannot describe the distress and pain I felt seeing my little boy screaming in pain and not knowing what had happened to him. I didn't know how to calm him down or help him. I did the next best thing and took him to the reception, as I knew he needed help. I had to rely on strangers to help my baby. When the ambulance arrived, I felt relieved but at the same time panicked as I didn't know whether he was going to live or not.

"When I arrived at hospital, I felt isolated and alone. I was alone in Liverpool with my son and David and I didn't know anyone else. It seemed to take forever for my mum to arrive. I was allowed to see my son at hospital, but this had to be supervised. No mother wants to be supervised with their child, however I did what I needed do I could be with him.

"The following day, he was removed from my care which left me heartbroken. He is my first child and I found it so hard being away from him. I kept crying and looking at photos of him."

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The mum detailed how she "didn't believe it when the doctors told he he had been harmed". She added: "This is when I realised David was a monster." The court was also told she had "missed out on so many of his firsts, such as his first smile, which she will never get back" with the statement concluding: "I learned to accept what David did to me, but I won't accept what he did to my son. He was just an innocent little boy who should have been protected by his dad.

"As a result of what he's done, I've lost my son and I'm fighting to get him back. I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm finding it very hard and I know it won't be easy."

Tilici, who has one previous conviction for shoplifting in 2020, represented himself in court during his sentencing, having dispensed with the services of the counsel who represented him at trial. Assisted by a Romanian interpreter, he told the judge: "The child is growing and he has no fractures on his head, no injuries on his eyes and nothing wrong with him. He is healthy.

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"Your honour, I am 29 years old and I've not had any problems with violence - not in England, not in Romania or in any other country. I have to be punished for what happened. It didn't happen with my consent. It wouldn't happen if I wasn't so drunk. It isn't an excuse, but I don't think it would happen if I wasn't so drunk. When I get out, I will be a better parent and a better man."

Tilici was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for 10 years on Friday, August 2 - of which he must serve at least two thirds before becoming eligible for release - and handed restraining orders preventing him from contacting his former partner and baby indefinitely.

Sentencing, Charlotte Crangle said: "She told the police that you had assaulted her earlier in the relationship and been incredibly controlling. She felt that you isolated her from her family and friends and threatened her with extreme violence because of your jealousy over a previously relationship she had had. It was clear when she gave evidence that she was, at the time, in significant fear of you because of the control you exerted over her.

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"He was a tiny baby. He was just over two-and-a-half kilos. It appears you became angry during the course of the day. You were accusing her of flirting with other males, even when she was crossing the road. You then consumed all of that whisky in a short space of time. This resulted in you becoming very drunk. You then became aggressive and abusive towards her.

"You were calling her names and beating her around the head while your son slept in the bed next to you. She managed to calm matters and left the hotel to get some food. She had fed, changed and settled the baby before she left and had no reason to be concerned about leaving him in the care of his father. You insisted she remain on a video call to you, no doubt so you could keep an eye on her.

"She could not see what was going on in the room, but then heard two loud bangs and then her son screaming. It was clear that it was at this point that you, in drink, had lost your temper with your son, as you had earlier with your partner, and struck out at him. The doctors both agreed that there must have been significant blunt force trauma to cause those injuries. It was clear that there was something badly wrong with him. She thought her baby boy was dead, as did the hotel staff.

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"He was silent. He was blue in the face. You came down to the reception and wanted to take your son from the staff, but they had to hide him in the kitchen area from you.

"Anybody looking at the photographs of the injuries you caused to your baby son cannot fail to be distressed. You denied causing the injuries under police interview and at trial and clearly made up a story that he had fallen off the bed. Thankfully, it seems that he will probably make a full recovery from his injuries."

References

1. ^{^} Liverpool city centre (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Liverpool Crown Court (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Alder Hey Children's Hospital (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Man killed ex-girlfriend after 'yanking' on Audi's handbrake as she drove on M62 (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
5. ^{^} First picture of teenager accused of Southport mass stabbing (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
6. ^{^} More info (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
7. ^{^} Facebook (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)