Craig Rowland: Portadown man found guilty at Belfast Crown Court of murdering his infant son

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A jury has found a 29-year-old Portadown man guilty of murdering his young son.

Craig Rowland, of Millington Park, had denied killing Lewis Oliver Rowland, who died aged three years old in October 2018.

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After a jury at Belfast Crown Court delivered their guilty verdict on Wednesday, Mr Justice O'Hara told Rowland he must pass a sentence of life imprisonment on him.

A tariff will be decided at a hearing in December.

Craig Rowland pictured outside Belfast Crown Court. Picture: PacemakerCraig Rowland pictured outside Belfast Crown Court. Picture: Pacemaker
Craig Rowland pictured outside Belfast Crown Court. Picture: Pacemaker

Over the course of the trial, jurors heard how 13-week old Lewis was seriously ill when admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital in November 2015 with brain injuries which resulted in a permanent and severe disability.

The little boy died three years later from complications arising from surgery.

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It was the Crown’s case that the ‘non-accidental’ brain injuries suffered by Lewis in 2015 played a significant role in his death.

Both Craig Rowland and the child's mother, Laura Graham, aged 31, had previously pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting their son.