A father who murdered his son has been sentenced to at least 20-years in prison.
Craig Rowland from Millington Park in Portadown was convicted last year of murdering Lewis Oliver Rowland in 2018.
He died when he was three after surgery complications, three-years after being violently shaken by his dad aged 13-weeks-old.
“Both Rowland and Lewis’ mother Laura Graham had previously pleaded guilty to child cruelty in 2023. This related to their failure to seek urgent medical attention for their baby, opting to walk to hospital rather than calling an ambulance," Detective Chief Inspector Kerrie Foreman said after the sentencing.
“Craig Rowland was found guilty of murder by a jury in October 2024. And, today, working in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service, he has finally been held accountable.
“This, however, remains a totally tragic and distressing case, in which the most cowardly and brutal of actions have taken a young, defenceless and innocent life.
“After Lewis sustained his initial injuries he was taken into the care of a foster family. The care, attention and kindness, which this family gave to Lewis, are in stark contrast to the cruelty demonstrated by his own father.
Lewis' mother, 32-year-old Laura Graham from Edward Street in Lurgan, was placed on probation for three-years for willful neglect of a child.
Main image: A Police Service of Northern Ireland badge in Belfast. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images
Reporting by Tara Griffiths.
