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14/03/2025
Father Jailed For Life For Murder Of Baby Son
A 30-year-old Portadown man has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison for the murder of his infant son.
Craig Rowland appeared at Laganside Court on Thursday, 13 March 2025, having been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment last October for the murder of three-month-old Lewis Oliver Rowland.
Welcoming the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Kerrie Foreman from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Major Investigation Team said: "Baby Lewis, at just three months old, was admitted to hospital in November 2015 with catastrophic injuries."
The initial investigation into the injuries turned into a murder inquiry when Lewis passed away on 20 October 2018, at the age of three.
"Distressingly, expert medical examinations concluded that baby Lewis had been violently shaken, the ferocity of which left him with a permanent brain injury. The injuries, inflicted by his father, led to his subsequent and untimely death," DCI Foreman explained.
Lewis' mother, Laura Graham, 32, who had previously pleaded guilty to child cruelty, was sentenced to three years' probation and 100 hours of community service.
Both Craig Rowland and Laura Graham had previously pleaded guilty to child cruelty in 2023, relating to their failure to seek urgent medical attention for Lewis, opting to walk to the hospital rather than calling an ambulance.
"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," DCI Foreman said.
She added: "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."
Following Lewis's initial injuries, he was placed in 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," DCI Foreman noted.
"My thoughts are with the foster family and those loved ones who continue to grieve, and indeed with all who have been touched by the sadness of the murder of young Lewis Rowland," she concluded.
Craig Rowland appeared at Laganside Court on Thursday, 13 March 2025, having been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment last October for the murder of three-month-old Lewis Oliver Rowland.
Welcoming the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Kerrie Foreman from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Major Investigation Team said: "Baby Lewis, at just three months old, was admitted to hospital in November 2015 with catastrophic injuries."
The initial investigation into the injuries turned into a murder inquiry when Lewis passed away on 20 October 2018, at the age of three.
"Distressingly, expert medical examinations concluded that baby Lewis had been violently shaken, the ferocity of which left him with a permanent brain injury. The injuries, inflicted by his father, led to his subsequent and untimely death," DCI Foreman explained.
Both Craig Rowland and Laura Graham had previously pleaded guilty to child cruelty in 2023, relating to their failure to seek urgent medical attention for Lewis, opting to walk to the hospital rather than calling an ambulance.
"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," DCI Foreman said.
She added: "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."
Following Lewis's initial injuries, he was placed in 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," DCI Foreman noted.
"My thoughts are with the foster family and those loved ones who continue to grieve, and indeed with all who have been touched by the sadness of the murder of young Lewis Rowland," she concluded.
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