Father who killed his 17-day-old son sentenced to 6 years in prison

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

Warning: Readers may find some details in this article disturbing or upsetting.

A man who killed his infant son two years ago has been sentenced to six years in prison.

The baby was just 17 days old when he died in hospital in Bonnyville, Alta. on Feb. 21, 2022.

Blair Johnson, 34, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his son's death earlier this year.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Johnson hit his son's head off a door jamb, hit his son's head off his knee, and then dropped the baby on the floor.

He initially told the police a dog had jumped up on the bed and caused the baby's injuries.

"[The baby] should have been protected by his father," Crown prosecutor Suzanne Kendall said on Wednesday.

"Instead, Mr. Johnson violated that trust and killed his baby son."

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During sentencing on Wednesday, court heard victim impact statements from the baby's maternal grandparents, who said the baby was their first grandchild.

"His mother will never get to feel his arms around her, giving him a hug," the victim's grandmother said in a statement read by the Crown.

"There is nothing anyone can do or say to bring my first-born grandson back," the victim's grandfather said.

"He will never feel the love we had for him."

In his sentencing decision, Justice Grant Dunlop said Johnson's guilty plea was a mitigating factor in his sentence, as it prevented the baby's relatives from sitting through a trial.

He also took into consideration that Johnson had no criminal record at the time of his son's death.

Ultimately, he accepted a joint submission between the defence and the Crown that will see Johnson serve six years, minus 15 days for time served.

Additionally, he must submit to a DNA order, and he is prohibited from owning weapons for 10 years.