Father who threw infant jailed

Child suffers brain injury after being tossed on bed, hitting chair

An Edmonton father who “vigorously” threw his infant child and caused a brain injury to the 13-week-old was sent to jail for six months Friday.

Kelly Scott Hilbert, 40, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and admitted he threw the child onto a bed in a fit of frustration in August 2012. The boy bounced off the bed, flipped over and struck his head on a nearby chair.

“This was a terribly, terribly dangerous thing to do,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman said. “This was a gross violation of the trust imposed on all parents. A 13-week-old is delicate and fragile.”

Crown prosecutor Robert Fata said the force of the throw was the equivalent of a car crash or a fall from a twostorey building.

Court heard the child suffered a severe brain injury. However, Sanderman noted, there was no evidence of permanent damage.

Defence lawyer Dane Bullerwell said Hilbert had no previous criminal record or problems with his children.

His infant son cried for hours each night and grabbed Hilbert’s chest hair just before the incident.

“The child was inconsolable. After weeks of this, Mr. Hilbert lost his temper. But for one fleeting instant in his life, he has been an excellent father.”

Bullerwell told court Hilbert will rejoin his family after his jail sentence. While out on bail, Hilbert was subject to a no-contact order that kept him apart from his wife, his injured son and twin sister, and the couple’s older child.

The older child was easier to raise, Bullerwell said, and Hilbert was “overwhelmed and unprepared to deal with the challenges” of his son.

Hilbert has since taken classes in parenting and anger management.

Hilbert did not immediately tell his sleeping wife what had occurred. He only awoke her when he noticed the boy was limp, unresponsive and had trouble breathing.

The couple called 911 and their son was taken to the University of Alberta