A dad in England has admitted guilt in killing his newborn son after years of denial. Peter Sayle has been convicted of manslaughter after doctors discovered the baby had been violently shaken. Since his son’s death, the dad had maintained he didn’t intentionally injure his son, but that reportedly proved to be untrue. During their investigation, authorities discovered that Sayle may not have been adjusting to life as a new dad easily. Newborns can be overwhelming, and his Google search history showed he wasn’t faring well. It’s his lack of being able to cope that will likely lead to him being imprisoned.
Sayle’s son Huxley Sayle was rushed to the hospital in the early hours of June 14, 2022, the BBC reported. His mother called for emergency services when she discovered the 6-week-old wasn’t breathing. The boy was taken to Royal Preston Hospital unresponsive with a head injury. Huxley was then transferred to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, and treatment was withdrawn on July 14, 2022, according to Lancashire Police.
On June 17, 2022, Peter Sayle was arrested on suspicion of wounding. According to medical experts, Huxley suffered from skull and brain injuries, indicating he had been “violently shaken,” according to the BBC. Sayle was rearrested on suspicion of murder. A postmortem examination of the boy revealed he died from a traumatic head injury and that his death wasn’t natural.
Sayle initially argued that the infant’s injuries came from getting CPR, but Dr. Alison Armour concluded that the two rib fractures Huxley had were inconsistent with having CPR administered. Rather, they indicated that the newborn might have been forcefully squeezed or gripped around the chest “during an episode of vigorous shaking.” The father initially denied shaking his son.
When he was arrested, Sayle was asked about his internet searches, the Manchester Evening News reported. His searches included “tips to deal with frustration and anger.” He said he searched for “wearing headphones when baby inconsolable acceptable or not” to try and handle his son’s crying.
Prosecutor Anne Whyte KC told the court that Sayle admitted to searching “baby crying makes me angry dad” and “I’m getting so angry when baby won’t sleep” but said he wasn’t angry, just overstimulated.
“We allege that Peter Sayle was at times, not coping well with parenting a very young baby,” Whyte explained in court, per the Evening News.
“Any infant of Huxley’s age would naturally require the most patient care and handling. Instead, Peter Sayle was plainly frustrated by the constant disruption. Any adult knows that the forceful gripping or shaking of such a young baby or deliberate impact against any sort of surface is likely to cause really serious harm.”
Five days after the trial began, Sayle denied murdering his son, but he did plead guilty to manslaughter, ITVX reported.
“I welcome today’s manslaughter plea put forward by Peter Sayle,” Lancashire Police Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows said. “After three-and-a-half years of denials he has finally admitted that he is responsible for assaulting and causing baby Huxley’s death.
“While this has been a particularly sensitive and challenging case, my investigation team’s relentless focus has always been on achieving justice for baby Huxley,” Fallows added, per ITVX. “Today we have managed to achieve that.”
Sayles will be sentenced on February 12, 2026.
