A WIRRAL man has today admitted assaulting his three-week-old son, leaving him permanently disabled.

A jury had been unable to reach a verdict on Dean Hodkinson on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after a trial last Spring and he had been due to face a re-trial.

But this afternoon he pleaded guilty to a lesser alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm and is now to be sentenced later in the month.

During his trial Liverpool Crown Court heard that Hodkinson, a former soldier, forcibly squeezed and shook his baby son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, while downstairs alone with him in their Wallasey home on August 9, 2008.

He then carried the baby, who was like "a rag doll", upstairs to the baby's 17-year-old mum.

At hospital it was found that the little boy had suffered 17 rib fractures, his collar bones and shoulders were broken and he had also suffered traumatic brain injury.

"Some of the injuries were of such severity which is only seen in serious road traffic accidents," said Mr Stuart Driver, QC, prosecuting.

Hodkinson, 21, was further remanded in custody until January 25 to enable a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Judge William George told him that the report will help him decide on the length of the custodial sentence he will receive.