A dad has been jailed for 45 years after he inflicted up to 80 bone fractures on his infant daughter when he beat her to death.
Jazmine Rose Robin was just two months old when she was beaten to death by her own father, Jason Paul Robin, 28, on 15th July 2018.
A court in Harris County has now found the Texas man from Houston guilty of murder after he made a deal with prosecutors by which he would plead guilty in exchange for testifying against his former fiancee, Katharine Wyndham White, the baby’s mother, who has also been charged with murder.
As part of the deal, Robin cannot appeal his conviction or sentence and will have to serve at least 22 and a half years before he is eligible for parole, according to local media.
CEN obtained a statement from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on 23rd June saying: “A Houston father has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for murder for the brutal beating of his premature baby girl, who died less than two weeks after being brought home, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.”
Ogg said: “We’re here to stand up for innocent victims, and it’s hard to imagine a more innocent victim than a newborn baby.
She added: “Baby Jazmine deserved to live, and we have worked hard since her death to get justice for her.”
The statement said: “As part of his plea agreement, Jason Robin will testify against the baby’s mother for her role. He also cannot appeal the conviction or the punishment. He will have to serve at least half of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.”
Prosecutors said that the baby girl suffered up to 80 fractures before she died.
The statement said: “An autopsy showed that baby Jazmine had at least 70 to 80 total fractures, including dozens of rib fractures and long-bone fractures. She also had two skull fractures, old and new brain bleeds and retinal hemorrhages in both eyes.
“The baby was born premature on April 30, 2018, at just 29 weeks. She spent two months in the neonatal intensive care unit before being released to her parents on July 3, 2018, as a healthy baby.
“Less than two weeks later, Jazmine was brought to the hospital with massive injuries, including head trauma. She died at the hospital. The Houston Police Department investigated.”
Assistant District Attorney Gilbert Sawtelle said that Robin’s parents loved their granddaughter and wanted their son to face the consequences for the baby girl’s murder.
Sawtelle said: “He was the primary caretaker, but neither he nor the mother really showed much interest or cared about the baby.”
He added: “The baby’s paternal grandparents loved her very much and were relieved to finally get some closure and justice for the baby.”
Virginia White, Jazmine’s great-grandmother, had said in 2019: “It doesn’t matter who it is. You need to be held responsible for the life of this child.”
She added: “I don’t care if it’s my daughter or my son. If you did it, you have to put on your big girl panties and take responsibility.”
