An Iraq war veteran who shook his baby daughter to death then blamed his wife for the killing was jailed for six years and eight months yesterday.

Gareth Harries, 25, attacked eight-month-old Chloe when she would not stop crying. He initially blamed his wife, Hayley, but at the High Court in Edinburgh, Harries, from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, admitted culpable homicide.

Chloe was killed in November 2006 at the home Harries shared with his wife, a servicewoman, in Lossiemouth.

Jailing Harries, Judge Lady Dorrian said it was clear that he must have used “significant force”. She told him: “The consequences of that will be with you for the rest of your life.”

She said she took into account that Harries had expressed “deep and genuine remorse” for his actions and also that he had not intended to harm his daughter, but there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.

Harries, a propulsion technician who joined the Air Force in 2000, had previously served in the Fallujah area of Iraq.

On the day that Chloe died, Harries collected her from a childminder at about 5pm. When his wife finished her duties she went drinking with colleagues and didn't arrive home until between 6.30pm and 7pm.

Advocate depute Simon Bowie said she was “to some extent intoxicated”. Harries was watching a film and drinking beer and told her that their daughter was asleep and asked her not to go into the bedroom for fear of disturbing her. When Mrs Harries said that she was going to change out of uniform and go out drinking again an argument ensued.

Mrs Harries went out and just before 10.30pm the ambulance service received a report from her husband that his daughter was not breathing.

Harries had gone to the home of a neighbouring midwife holding the child who was pale and limp. The neighbour began resuscitation attempts which were continued by ambulance staff who took her to Dr Gray's Hospital, in Elgin.

Chloe was placed on a ventilator in hospital and was transferred to the Royal Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh. The following day, after consultation with the parents, it was decided to withdraw life support.

An expert said that the fatal injury was probably caused by the baby being shaken, resulting in whiplash and rotational movement. The advocate depute said: “It is clear that the shakes must have been delivered with a significant degree of force.”

Defence Counsel David Moggach said: “He's lost his daughter, his marriage and his career. He now presents as a sad and lonely man. He killed his child and that is not an easy thing to carry through life.”

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