Doting dad whose kiss killed his young boy spiraled into a self-destructive life of booze and drugs, attacking his former girlfriend.
Carl Maclaren, 44, blamed himself after passing herpes simplex to his newborn baby, who died of organ failure at 2 months old in 2012.
Maclaren kissed his two-week-old baby, unwittingly passing on a virus most people carry.
Kaiden’s life support was turned off after he battled for life in hospital for six weeks, the court heard.
During the first Covid lockdown, Maclaren started drinking frequently again, which ended his relationship with Marie Clare McCormick, 37.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he broke into her house after their 12-year relationship ended in May while she was sleeping upstairs.
She was scared after hearing thumping below, and Maclaren stormed into her room cursing and calling her a slag, said prosecutor Paul Blasbery.
The court heard he seized her by the hair and punched her, forcing her to collapse.
He stomped on her face and head as she curled into a ball to protect herself.
Mr Blasbery added, ‘She was crying for assistance, scared the attack wouldn’t end, and that she’d be murdered.’
The court heard he fled the Bootle home yelling, ‘Watch, I’ll get those kids off you.’
She waited a bit, then walked downstairs and, seeing her injured face, requested a friend to pick up her children from school.
She called 911.
Mr. Blasbery claimed Maclaren returned at 4.45 p.m. smelling of alcohol and slurring his speech before being detained.
Recorder Nicola Daley jailed 44-year-old Maclaren for three years for breaking into the victim’s house via a window.
She stated he continuously stomped and hit her while she was on the floor protecting herself. She screamed for assistance and feared the attack wouldn’t end.
When police came, Recorder Daley claimed they could see his sneakers’ design on her.
In her impact statement, the mother-of-three said she felt ‘paranoid’ after the incident.
The court said their son’s death ‘played in the debate that day, but it didn’t justify what you did.’
Seaforth’s Maclaren pled guilty to burglary and a GBH attempt on McCormick.
A five-year restraining order was also issued.
Jeremy Rawson, defending, claimed the defendant’s son’s death garnered notoriety in a magazine and on daytime tv, leading to drug and alcohol addiction.
Maclaren has two violent convictions but no prison time.
His lawyer claimed he’s’remorseful’ and has applied for two prison jobs.
Mr. Rawson remarked, “He claims he won’t drink or use drugs.”
Maclaren had argued with her over their children that day, he said.
After Kaiden’s death, the couple wrote to the home secretary and created an e-petition urging hospitals to put viral details on pamphlets provided to new parents.
Kaiden’s parents were astonished to learn their kid had the latent herpes simplex virus.
Maclaren blamed himself for Kaiden’s death but had no knowledge.
If I had, I wouldn’t have gone near him, and he’d still be alive.
Marie-Claire McCormick questioned how a newborn got herpes.
Carl reflexively grabbed his lip when he claimed the infection caused cold sores. His heart broke then.
‘
Carl cried. He blamed himself and was distressed.
Never blamed Carl, however. All he did was adore our baby. He was a good dad. I hated seeing him self-punish.