Joshua Millinson murder: Killer father Daniel Sanzone has shown 'no remorse', say police

Joshua's father, Daniel Sanzone, was today convicted of murdering his newborn son.

The 23-year-old shook Joshua in their Wolverhampton home last October, inflicting catastrophic brain injuries which caused his death.

Joshua's mother, Zoe Howell,was found not guilty of allowing his death to happen and was freed from the dock.

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DI Jim Munro, the senior investigating officer from West Midlands Police, told the Express & Star his officers had uncovered evidence of an 'appalling' assault on baby Joshua.

Speaking after yesterday's conviction, he said: "The clear word is appalling.

"As a parent myself - and officers that worked on the case have got children - it becomes very, very, emotional for us as police officers and it is difficult to comprehend the kind of behaviour shown by Sanzone around Joshua, the very person he is meant to love and care for."

Joshua suffered brain injuries, bleeding within the layer protecting his brain and extensive bleeding into both retinas following the shaking on October 24 last year.

But he was also found to have fractures to both his legs around his knees and ankles which the prosecution argued were caused by Sanzone prior to the alleged shaking.

Di Munro, added: "Some of the key things around this case in comparison to others where a baby has been killed are the actual severe force which has been described by some of the experts, in particular when talking about injures to the back of Joshua's eyes, the detaching of retinas.

"Some of the experts were very clear in the amount of force that was exercised by Sanzone in the shaking which was very, very traumatic to hear about what kind of pain and suffering Joshua must have had during those initial minutes following the injuries being sustained.

"At 13-days-old what Joshua would have known of the world and the element of his family that would never have met him - it is tragic.

"It is just a very, very tragic set of circumstances in such a very small child and somebody who should have had his whole life ahead of them and had it taken very tragically and very early on."

Det Insp Jim Munro said: "We are very pleased in relation to the jury's verdict that they returned today in relation to Mr Sanzone.

"It has been a particularly difficult case for everybody involved; the family, and also for the officers who've worked on the case given the amount of cruelty and suffering Joshua suffered.

"He was 13-days-old when he was taken to hospital with the significant head injury which obviously came to the attention of the police and the investigation commenced.

"It has been particularly difficult for officers working on the case and for family members to hear the evidence around some of the real serious injuries that Joshua suffered at the hands of Mr Sanzone.

"This is someone who was in a position of trust.

The very person who should have been caring for Joshua is ultimately responsible for his death and that is something that obviously members of the extended family are coming to terms with."

He added: "There has been no remorse given and in fact he chose not to give evidence during the trial. He spoke during his police interview.

"We have had a number of different accounts from him during the course of investigation and somewhere in that lies the truth."