A"monster" has been jailed for causing the death of a baby girl who suffered catastrophic injuries consistent with a "road traffic collision or multi-storey fall".
Brandon Heath, 22, "lied" and failed to give a "plausible and consistent account" after the 22-month-old girl was found critically injured in August 2020.
Heath has been caged for 13 years and six months for manslaughter following a trial at Chester Crown Court.
Heath, of no fixed address, told the court that he called the North West Ambulance Service after finding the little girl "collapsed" on the floor after getting out of her chair.
Paramedics raced to the scene and found her in the upstairs bedroom, where she was struggling to breathe and had an abnormal swelling on the back of her head.
Heath, who was the only adult at the address, told one paramedic that she had fallen off the bed and hit her head.
He said she became sleepy so he took her to the first-floor bedroom, leaving momentarily before returning to find her struggling to breathe.
Yet he told another paramedic that he had found her in a lethargic state on the floor.
Police also attended and spoke to Heath and the child's mum, who had returned from dropping off a friend at work.
The court heard how Heath then told police another version of events, saying he had taken the child out of her highchair as she was being "whingy".
Heath said he left her to play and when he returned, she was lying on the floor.
Doctors believed she suffered a severe brain injury and she was rushed to Alder Hey Hospital.
The little girl underwent emergency neurosurgery but she was taken off life support after her condition deteriorated.
A post-mortem examination showed that she had a catastrophic brain injury, bleeding within and around her eyes, rib fractures, damage to the nerves in her neck, and bruising to the body.
Experts concluded that this significant traumatic head injury could not have been caused by an accident.
One expert said the injuries were similar to those suffered in a car crash or multi-storey fall.
Heath was arrested and charged with murder in July 2021.
The court heard how his police interviews were full of inconsistencies about what had happened.
Police said he tried to “conceal his involvement” even though he was alone with the baby at the time.
He even tried to blame the mother of the child, who was not even present at the time, it was said.
Detective Inspector Adam Waller, who led the investigation, described the case as “harrowing”.
He said: “This case is indescribably tragic and due to the complicated medical evidence, the family have had to wait many, many months for justice and I’d like to pay testament to their patience.
“Heath had already had been interviewed by police both before and immediately after the child’s death and was further interviewed in July 2021 under caution – officers put to him the various inconsistencies in what he had claimed from 30 August 2020 onwards.
“Yet he told police that he couldn’t recall what he had allegedly said and continued to deny causing injury or harm to the girl.
“The medical evidence clearly pointed towards a sudden catastrophic assault on the little girl and although Heath was alone with her at the time, in order to conceal his involvement, he lied about the circumstances.
“He was unable to think on his feet and come up with a plausible or consistent account which was ultimately his undoing.
“The level of injury caused to the child was described by one of the pathology experts as being akin to a road traffic collision or multi-storey fall.
“The fact that he blamed the mother of the child who wasn’t even present at the time just demonstrates the total lack of compassion and cowardice in not taking responsibility for his actions against a a defenceless little girl.
“He has shown an arrogance and a total lack of remorse throughout this case including while in court.
“I would also like to thank all of those involved in the investigation both professionals and from the community and particularly from my investigation team for their tenacity during the most harrowing of cases, in making sure that Heath was sentenced for his most appalling actions.”
In a tribute, the little girl's mother said: "She was always so happy and full of life, the happiest cheekiest little girl you had ever seen, her smile lit up the whole room. Her personality was so big, my heart aches every day.
"I thank Adam Waller and the team for bringing the truth to light and bringing that monster to justice.”
