Parents who have committed horrific crimes against their own kids have shocked ECHO readers in recent months.
On September 16, a dad who broke his newborn baby's bones and left her with brain damage found himself the dock for his sickening crimes.
The Merseyside man, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect his victim's identity, fractured her ribs and collarbone and then blamed the child's mum.
It is sadly one of a number of disturbing court cases over the last year, which have involved parents inflicting severe abuse on their own children, or putting them in serious danger.
These dads were all brought to justice this year after their horrific crimes landed them in court.
Dad broke his own baby's bones
A Merseyside dad broke his newborn baby's bones and left her with brain damage - then blamed the child's mum.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect his victim's identity, fractured her ribs and collarbone.
On September 16, Liverpool Crown Court heard how the tiny girl also suffered bleeding on the brain, but all the man did was give her Calpol, in an effort to cover up his sick abuse.
He then "strung along" the authorities for a year and a half - putting her mum through "hell" by suggesting she might be responsible.
The court heard the baby was around a month old and even more vulnerable because she was born a month prematurely.
Robert Povall, prosecuting, said the child was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital after her mum saw she was bleeding from the mouth.
A CT scan and skeletal survey revealed brain damage and bleeding on the brain, a head injury, five broken ribs, a broken left collarbone and torn frenulum.
Experts said the broken collarbone was the result of either a blow, impact, bending or snapping action, and the brain injuries were consistent with shaking.
Police and the council launched a joint investigation, with the local authority initiating care proceedings, which eventually resulted in a family court hearing.
The dad denied any wrongdoing in two police interviews, but at the hearing a judge found he was responsible for the injuries, which resulted in criminal charges.
He admitted one count of child neglect, four counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, relating to incidents over a number of days.
In a pre-sentence report, the dad finally admitted shaking and squeezing the baby, injuring her mouth by forcing a dummy into it, and giving her Calpol to try and conceal his crimes
He was jailed for four years on September 16.
Ian Hunter
Ian Roland Hunter risked his family's lives and gutted their home when he started a fire in his young sons' bedroom.
On May 22, Liverpool Crown Court heard how Hunter had to be rescued from their burning mid-terrace rented house in Kingsway, Huyton.
He had earlier twice stabbed Patricia Hardy - the mother of his three children - in the bottom with a flick knife.
The 51-year-old told police he only did it "for a laugh", during an all-day drinking bender, which started at 6am.
But he wasn't finished and using a lighter started a blaze in the box room shared by his sons, aged three and four.
The fire was so ferocious it blew out the front bedroom window and caused "devastating" damage upstairs.
Judge David Aubrey, QC, said it was "a miracle" that his sons, who were downstairs with their mum, and, daughter, 13, were unharmed by the fire.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how Hunter and Miss Hardy had been together for 18 years, but there were problems due to his jealousy.
Hunter was jailed for five years and was handed a seven-year restraining order to keep him away from Miss Hardy and the family's home.
'Monster' dad stabbed baby son with hidden needle
A dad who deliberately jabbed his baby son with a needle causing the child to bleed was caught on CCTV at a nursery.
The Merseyside man, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect his victim's identity, first squeezed the newborn child.
That initial attack, when his son was just 26-days-old, led to the baby being taken off his parents, and re-homed with relatives.
But after they were granted supervised access at a nursery, CCTV cameras captured a deeply disturbing second assault.
The dad took out what is thought to be a needle from his pocket, concealed it, then jabbed his baby in the side - an attack the child's mum said "tore my family apart".
Doctors at Alder Hey concluded it was "caused deliberately with a very sharp object, such as a needle, which could penetrate the clothing easily".
A second doctor who viewed the CCTV agreed and said the dad "jabbed" the baby with it through his clothing.
Katy Appleton, prosecuting, said the dad admitted using what "might have been a toothpick" to hurt his son when he started to cry, but "was at a loss to explain why he did it".
The dad, who had no previous convictions, admitted two offences of child cruelty. An indefinite order prevents him having any direct contact with his son
Rachel Oakdene, defending, said her client was diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, anxiety and depression.
She said the treatment suggested was psychotherapy, which he wouldn't receive in prison, and jail would only be a "short term solution" and wouldn't "tackle the root of this bizarre conduct".
Ms Oakdene said the dad was ashamed and remorseful, had lost the two people he loved the most and accepted his wife would divorce him.
He was handed six months in prison, suspended for 18 months on September 30 this year.
He was also given 200 hours of unpaid work and a 60-hour Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, which Judge Teague said, would "better serve the public interest, the safety of children and the interests of justice" than a short prison sentence.
