Mother's Agonising Testimony in Swansea Baby Death Trial
A mother broke down in tears at Swansea Crown Court as she blamed her former boyfriend for the death of her five-month-old baby, who he allegedly shook to death following a heated argument with an ex-partner. The emotional testimony has gripped the courtroom as details of the tragic case emerge.
Final Kiss Before Tragedy
Jordan Dougal, 24, told jurors she left her "smiling" infant son Jensen-Lee Dougal with partner Thomas Morgan, 29, at their family home in Clydach, Swansea, on March 30, 2024. She described giving her baby a final kiss before departing for work, completely unaware this would be their last moment together. The mother stated she had no concerns about leaving Jensen-Lee with Morgan, who was father to two other children.
Panicked Phone Call and Failed Emergency Response
Ms Dougal recounted receiving a panicked phone call from Morgan who said he was "freaking out" because Jensen-Lee had stopped breathing. "I told him to ring an ambulance [...] I hung up, I rung an ambulance like five times," she testified through tears. Despite her repeated instructions, Morgan allegedly failed to call emergency services immediately, instead taking the infant to a neighbour's house for assistance.
The court heard that paramedics arrived to find Jensen-Lee "purple in colour, lifeless and limp" before rushing him to hospital where medical staff discovered catastrophic injuries.
Devastating Injuries and Heartbreaking Decision
Medical evidence presented to the jury revealed Jensen-Lee suffered:
- Catastrophic brain damage
- Numerous fractures throughout his body
- Extensive retinal bleeding in both eyes
Ms Dougal described the agonising decision to turn off her son's life support machine the following day. "They told me he wouldn't survive without life support. He would have no quality of life and he would be stuck to a machine for the rest of his life," she testified. The mother held her son as he died in her arms on March 31, just one day after the incident.
Alleged Trigger: Angry Text Exchange
Prosecutor Caroline Rees told the court that Morgan had been engaged in a series of "angry and abusive" text messages with Georgia Griffiths, the mother of his two other children, on the day of the incident. The messages included name-calling and aggressive language that prosecutors argue "flipped some kind of switch" in Morgan, leaving him "angry and aggressive" and in no proper state to care for an infant.
Ms Rees suggested: "With his temper raised and his fuse short, his temper must have snapped and he shook Jensen-Lee with such violence that he caused the devastating injuries."
Defence Claims and Ongoing Trial
Thomas Morgan, of Gorseinon, Swansea, denies murdering Jensen-Lee in what prosecutors describe as a "fit of rage." He claims the baby fell ill when he briefly left the room to fetch a change of clothes, returning to find him "limp." Morgan told police he immediately fled the house with the infant to seek help from neighbours, one of whom performed CPR while another called an ambulance.
The 29-year-old faces charges of:
- Murder
- Three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent
Ms Dougal revealed she and Morgan separated approximately two months after Jensen-Lee's death. The trial continues at Swansea Crown Court as more evidence is presented to the jury.
