Thomas Morgan, 29, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of five-month-old Jensen-Lee Dougal after violently shaking him at the family home in Swansea, Wales
This is the moment a child killer spoke to a 999 operator whilst a neighbour tended to his five-month-old stepson who had been brutally shaken. Thomas Morgan put on a show of concern for Jensen-Lee Dougal, and seemed to be weeping when he spoke to the operator, but he deceived them about his actions which resulted in the youngster’s death.
Morgan, 29, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 19 years for murdering Jensen-Lee Dougal after assaulting him at the family residence in Clydach in the Swansea Valley.
The infant sustained catastrophic brain injuries that Morgan claimed resulted from his stepson choking on vomit and the attempts made to rescue him. Nevertheless, the prosecution argued evidence demonstrated Jensen-Lee suffered injuries similar to those seen in high-speed road traffic accidents or a fall from a great height, and a jury convicted him of murder following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.
Morgan attacked Jensen-Lee on the afternoon of March 30, 2024 at the family residence – he was solely responsible for the infant whilst the baby’s mother Jordan Dougal was at work. The court was told that earlier that day Morgan had engaged in a 90-minute torrent of abusive text messages with his former partner Georgia Griffiths, branding her a “stinking little rat”, a “coked-up w***”, and a “deluded c***”, reports Wales Online.
He continued sending messages to the woman even whilst driving his vehicle with a sleeping Jensen-Lee in the rear.
Upon reaching Clydach the defendant visited a contact to purchase cannabis before buying pasties and a case of lager from a shop – all with Jensen-Lee in the car – then returned to the family residence on Players Avenue to watch football on television.
Only one person knows precisely what occurred next, but what is established is that Jensen-Lee was shaken so violently he sustained catastrophic bleeding on the brain, bleeding in the spinal column, and bleeding behind the eyes along with multiple rib fractures. Damage was also discovered to an elbow joint and to the ankle joints.
Morgan claimed the baby vomited and also needed a new nappy and said that when he returned to the living room with a clean babygrow he found Jensen-Lee limp and unresponsive. He claimed he thought the baby was choking and shook him to revive him before tapping him on the back, clearing his airways, and performing CPR.
He said he couldn’t call 999 because of a problem with the speaker on his phone. The defendant then took the baby outside and handed him to neighbour Hayley Evans who was first-aid trained.
The prosecution argued that Morgan’s account was fabricated. Caroline Rees, representing the Crown, stated that “fired up” and “full of rage” following his hour-and-a-half row with his former partner, the defendant had inflicted violent shaking upon Jensen-Lee.
The barrister explained that Jensen-Lee had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
After neighbours dialled 999, paramedics battled for 45 minutes administering CPR to Jensen-Lee and succeeded in restoring a pulse. He was transported to the specialist paediatric emergency department at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where CT scans revealed the scope and seriousness of his brain trauma.
The next day his mother Jordan made the devastating choice to withdraw life-support, and the five-month-old passed away in her embrace.
Following Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, South Wales Police issued audio recordings of Morgan’s conversation with a 999 operator.
The operator said: “Hello there, right. Are you there at the moment with the baby?”.
Morgan said: “Pardon.”
The operator said: “How old is the baby?”.
Morgan said: “He’s six months.”
The operator said: “Six months olds – Is the baby male or female?”.
Morgan said: “He’s male.”
The operator said: “Ok, is he breathing?”.
Morgan said: “He’s like, he’s getting deep breaths like here or there, but he wasn’t, I don’t know what he’s doing now, there’s someone doing CPR on him.”
After the sentencing hearing, Jensen-Lee’s mum, Jordan stated: “Jensen-Lee was just five months old when his life was taken. He was completely innocent and entirely dependent on the adults around him to keep him safe.
“Since Jensen-Lee’s death, my life has been permanently changed. I live with overwhelming grief, trauma and emotional pain.
“I never had the chance to hear Jensen-Lee say he loved me. I will never hear him call me “mammy”. I will never see him take his first steps, speak his first words, start school, or grow into the person he was meant to be. Those moments were not just lost – they were taken.
“Due to what Thomas Morgan did, I have also received a life sentence, but mine is one of grief.
“Jensen-Lee will never be forgotten. I love you, Jensen-Lee.”
Detective Chief Inspector Lianne Rees commented: “With today’s sentencing, we finally have justice for the terrible crime carried out by Thomas Morgan upon a defenceless baby boy.
“Thomas Morgan may now finally and rightfully be going to prison, but this will do little to alleviate the grief experienced by Jensen-Lee’s family, and especially his mother Jordan, who placed her trust into her then-partner Thomas Morgan to take care of Jensen-Lee, only to experience the ultimate betrayal.
“I want to pay tribute to the members of the public, first responders and everyone involved in the desperate efforts to save Jensen-Lee’s life, when faced with the most unimaginable and tragic circumstances back in March 2024. I also want to acknowledge the incredible dignity and strength shown by Jensen-Lee’s family throughout this painful journey.
“Lastly, I would like to thank the investigation team, Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecution Counsel for their continued hard work throughout what has been a very difficult investigation and trial.”