A LABOURER who murdered his girlfriend's baby after four months of barbaric cruelty, when he made the infant's existence a "living hell", had his conviction upheld in London's Court Of Appeal.

Kevin Raw, of Elm View, Pickering, was jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court in August 2004 after he was convicted of murdering 13-month-old Kieran Brown, who was found to have sustained 41 external injuries when his battered corpse was medically examined.

Raw, who told police the child was "accident prone", was also convicted of five counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, relating to attacks on Kieran in the preceding four months.

He was cleared of one wounding charge, but convicted of a further count of causing actual bodily harm. The sentencing judge ordered that Raw, 41, should serve at least 15 years before he can be considered for parole.

Kieran had lived peacefully and unscathed until Raw began a relationship with the youngster's mother, Deborah Brown, in late 2000, staying sporadically with her in Birch Avenue, Malton.

Between September 2000 and his death in December 2000, Kieran was the victim of relentless assaults from Raw, leading to fractures of the chest, ribs and lower leg, along with injuries to his liver.

Raw later tried to deflect blame on to Kieran's mother for alleged aggression towards her son, but the prosecution said this was without foundation.

He consistently denied harming Kieran, insisting that he had given the child urgent mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when he came upon the limp and dying baby in the early hours of December 15, 2000.

But, upholding his conviction yesterday, Lady Justice Hallett said: "The jury heard him give evidence, they heard his explanation and account of events, and did not believe them."

Raw's barrister, Paul Worsley, claimed his client did not receive a fair trial due to the excessive delay in the case coming to court.

The prosecution was delayed because of separate legal proceedings, and because of uncertain findings as to the cause of death by the Home Office pathologist.

Lady Justice Hallett said the delay was regrettable, but backed the trial judge's decision to let the case go ahead - a decision criticised by Raw's lawyers.

News of the prosecution had not come "out of the blue" for Raw, said the judge, adding: "The sad fact is that a child was dead, and the public interest demands that a person allegedly responsible should be put on trial - provided that he or she can receive a fair trial."

She concluded that Raw's trial was entirely just, with a "scrupulously fair" summing-up by the judge and well-balanced scientific evidence.

Evidence concerning the time when the fatal injuries were inflicted also chimed with evidence as to when Raw was "up and about" in his girlfriend's house late at night, said the judge.

When sentenced, the trial judge told Raw he had transformed Kieran's last weeks into a "living hell".

Updated: 09:29 Thursday, January 19, 2006