A dad shook his crying baby and threw her three feet onto a bed - leaving the child with bleeds to the brain.
The father, who cannot be named because that would identify his daughter, claimed the four-month-old suddenly had a seizure.
That meant the baby's innocent mum had to be supervised around her children, while the authorities tried to find out what had happened.
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But following months of lies to doctors, his partner and his family, the dad finally confessed he had "lost it" - not once, but twice.
The 29-year-old, from Merseyside, today admitted two counts of causing a child to suffer serious physical harm.
David Polglase, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution say on two occasions this defendant caused serious harm including - in layman's terms - bleeds to the brain to his infant daughter."
Liverpool Crown Court heard the dad was looking after the baby on his own when he rang 999 for an ambulance, reporting she'd had a seizure, after he took a shower.
Mr Polglase said there was "far more to it than the defendant let on in that phone call".
His girlfriend had previously texted her father about a conversation with her partner, in which he "referred to not coping and thoughts of harm when the baby cried".
The baby was taken to hospital and the dad claimed she had been "fitting".
One doctor suspected the child had meningitis or sepsis.
But another doctor ruled that out and a CT scan showed bleeding on the brain, thought to be "non-accidental".
Mr Polglase said the child was transferred to Alder Hey, where a meeting was held two or three days later.
The dad was crying and a doctor told his partner he had admitted throwing the baby on a bed, but said "nothing else was due to him".
That doctor found the baby had suffered a subdural haemorrhage and eye haemorrhages, from "significant abusive head trauma within hours of collapse and presentation to hospital".
It was then discovered the child had suffered a different bleed on the brain, at least two weeks previously.
Mr Polglase said the doctor also found three healed rib fractures, thought to be at least two weeks old.
However, he said the prosecution could not be sure they were caused by the dad, due to medical evidence.
The dad, who had no previous convictions, was arrested and his phone was seized.
Officers found messages referring to him being "wound up" when children cry and internet searches relating to brain injury.
When interviewed he made no comment, but after being released on bail, his father asked him "did you do it" and he replied: "Yeah I did, I threw the baby on the bed."
He denied causing the rib injuries, but said something in his brain "clicked" and he threw his daughter.
The culprit later denied making these admissions to his mother and denied hurting the child.
The two parents split up and it wasn't until family court proceedings concluded - by which point the baby had made a full recovery, with no long term effects expected - that he finally came clean.
When interviewed again, he told police he harmed his daughter, but hadn't intended to and never shook her.
The dad said in the second incident he lost control and threw her about three feet onto a mattress.
He said he knew he was "at the line", so propped her up on a duvet and took a shower to "cool down", but when he got out, she was still crying.
Mr Polglase said: "He said he picked her up by her clothes at the front, then dropped her six to nine inches onto the bed.
"He said he then grabbed her legs and pulled them over her so her knees were to her chest, but didn't think this hurt her."
The dad said the baby started to convulse so he called 999, but "he thought it was a fit due to fever".
He admitted on an occasion three weeks earlier, he asked his daughter why she was crying but "got no answer in his head".
The dad told officers he "lost it" and pushed her to the chest at least three times, down into the mattress, while asking why she was crying.
Mr Polglase said: "He asked himself what he had done and went out of the room to cool down."
The dad said he "wished he could go back and change things".
He described having poor mental health due to post-natal depression, overwork, debt and his girlfriend "overspending" and said he wished he'd sought help.
He then admitted shaking his daughter on the first occasion, before throwing her to the bed and pushing her, and said he was sorry.
John Rowan, defending, said there had "not been a day since" when his client hadn't remembered his actions "without a huge degree of disgust, shock, guilt and genuine remorse, after completely and utterly, on these two occasions, failing as a father".
He said the dad hadn't at first accepted his wrongdoing in full, but that was perhaps "shock and guilt" and "not wanting to own up to that".
Mr Rowan said social services now allowed him unsupervised contact with his children, for an hour and a half at a time.
The lawyer said: "He's a good father. He supports all his children financially, he's there for them whenever they need him, and he's having visits with them weekly, and for as much time as he can."
Mr Rowan argued there would be a significant harmful impact on the children - including his victim - if he was jailed.
Judge David Potter said the dad had previous "exemplary character".
He said: "You're clearly from a loving, supportive and high achieving family, who fully support you in your current plight.
"You yourself are highly educated... you're an industrious and hard working individual."
The judge said both incidents arose when he couldn't stop the baby "crying and screaming", but there was no obvious sign of injury after the first incident.
However, the dad knew he had a "problem" controlling his "emotional response" and "spoke of that frustration" in texts before losing control again, three weeks later.
The judge accepted the dad immediately sought medical aid that time.
Judge Potter said: "It's through sheer luck rather than judgement on your part that she was not more seriously injured."
He said the dad had shown genuine remorse, done all he could to regain contact with his children, and worked full time to support them.
Judge Potter said: "If you were to lose that job, so the family will lose a significant chunk of income."
The judge told him he had "very much in mind" the welfare of the victim "as I now know, you do".
He said: "I bear in mind removing you from featuring in her life, for whatever period, would cause her significant distress and would ultimately be against her best interests."
Judge Potter handed him a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a 15-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Cry-sis is a helpline providing help for parents of excessively crying, sleepless or demanding babies. Lines open seven days a week, 9am-10pm. 08451 228669 cry-sis.org.uk
Family Lives provides help and support on all aspects of parenting and family life, and runs Parentline. 0808 800 2222 familylives.org.uk
Anyone worried about a child or concerned about possible child abuse can phone the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk for help and support.
Children and young people with any worries can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk
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