HE’D been a loving father but in a fit of rage Richard Morgan violently shook and killed Slater Sharkey.

Described as a man of former good character and a “loving father” to his own children Morgan, 33,  has been jailed for seven and a half years for the manslaughter of 13-month-old Slater in December 2010.

Throughout the court case at Newcastle Crown Court, Morgan maintained he hadn’t killed the youngster, claiming he’d returned from the toilet to find him lifeless.

Mr Justice King told a hearing yesterday: “The main head injury was caused by a momentary lose of control by a stressed carer. Your infliction of fatal violence on Slater was the final incident in a period of episodes of abuse at your hands over the 24 hours while he was in your care.”

Slater’s mum Rachel Peacock, 31, formerly of Owen terrace, Tantobie, County Durham, was this week acquitted of allowing the death of her son.

She was found guilty of child neglect relating to November 9, 2010 - Slater’s first  birthday - when she failed to take her son to hospital after being advised to following a visit to a GP surgery for advice.

With the incident deemed an “isolated incident of short-term neglect” she was sentenced to a 12 month community order with supervision.