A FORMER Southampton man who shook a baby so hard she suffered head injuries has been convicted of grievous bodily harm.

Anthony Vine left the six-week-old girl with a blood clot on her brain and damage to her eyes after losing his temper with her, Winchester Crown Court had been told.

Vine had denied a charge of grievous bodily harm, said to have taken place between October 18, 2001 and January 11, 2002, but the jury took less than four hours to find him guilty.

Recorder Jane Miller QC remanded him in custody while pre-sentence reports are prepared. He will be sentenced on a date to be set.

The court heard that the baby has since recovered from the blood clots but there is still concern that her eyesight may never improve because of damage done to her retina.

The injuries came to light when the girl was taken for her six-week check-up following her birth in mid October 2001.

At that stage doctors noticed the size of the baby's head had swollen to such an extent that she had gone from below average to the top one per cent for infants her age.

During the trial several expert medical witnesses testified to the fact that the damage she had sustained all pointed to injuries known to be caused by shaking.

The baby's mother - who can't be named for legal reasons - also told the court she had come back to her home in Harefield in Southampton one day to find Vine in tears, saying the child had had diarrhoea and then gone pale and limp.

Vine, 34, gave his address as Lovedean Lane, Waterlooville.