Daniel Gunter, 27, jailed for at least 20 years after savagely murdering his premature son inside Yeovil Hospital’s special care unit.
Horror in Hospital Nursery
Gunter inflicted horrific injuries on just 14-day-old Brendon Staddon, breaking his neck and crushing his skull while nurses stood barely yards away.
The tiny baby, born premature at 33 weeks and weighing a mere 1.83kg, was found fatally injured in his cot after his mother, Sophie Staddon, 21, raised the alarm early one morning when the baby felt cold.
Despite frantic emergency efforts, Brendon was declared dead at 4:59am on March 5, 2025.
Shocking Murder Stuns Hospital and Family
Gunter and Sophie were both arrested after stepping outside the unit for a cigarette while medics fought to save little Brendon.
At 1 Crown Court, Gunter was convicted of murder after a three-week trial. Sophie was cleared of all blame.
“Brendon was your son… He was an entirely healthy child,” Justice Swift told Gunter. “He sustained multiple injuries including fractures across his head, neck, legs and face. His skull was shattered and his neck was broken. Very severe force was brought to bear.”
Callous, Calculated Attack
The judge ruled the killing was planned, with Gunter violently attacking Brendon without alerting the nearby nurses.
Medical experts said the baby’s wounds were on a scale comparable to falling from a multi-storey building.
Prosecutor Charles Row QC said, “There was an intention to kill demonstrated by the sheer brutality of the attack.”
Brendon’s grandfather, Simon Gunter, paid a heartbreaking tribute:
“We will never see his first crawl, his first steps or his first word. He didn’t even have a chance to give us his first smile.”
Police and NHS Respond to Tragedy
Detective Chief Inspector Nadine Partridge described the assault as “utterly horrific,” saying, “There wasn’t a part of Brendon’s body left unharmed.”
A spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust confirmed a Child Safeguarding Practice Review is underway, with findings due later this year.
This tragic case has rocked Yeovil Hospital and its community, shining a grim light on the shocking reality that even the most vulnerable babies are not always safe — even in a place designed to protect them.
