BABY killer Paul Rich never told police how bright-eyed Patrick sustained the injuries that resulted in his death, the detective overseeing the case has revealed.

It was only two years after the death, when Rich confessed to manslaughter, that he explained how he had thrown the three-month-old into his Moses basket.

Det Ch Insp Ruth Mather, who runs the major crime team’s murder squad, said: “Paul Rich had sole care at the home address at the time of the death.

“He was interviewed and never gave an account of how Patrick had received his injuries. It was only much later when he entered the manslaughter plea that he explained how the injuries had occurred.

“With these cases we have to be extremely sure with the evidence. We’re delving into a family.

“But we have to remember that Patrick needs justice.”

The investigation took months of careful work, as detectives gathered evidence from medical experts.

Ms Mathers told the Adver: “The death of a baby is one of the most difficult crimes to investigate.

“The family has, obviously, been greatly affected by Patrick’s death and I have no doubt they will never truly come to terms with what has happened.

“We are pleased that Paul Rich has decided to admit what he’s done so the family won’t be put through the further trauma of a trial.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the efforts of the medical staff at Great Western Hospital and the Bristol Children’s Hospital who provided Patrick with round-the-clock care before he sadly passed away.”

The senior detective has been a police officer for 26 years, with the bulk of that time served in plain clothes.

She has investigated countless murders, including the fatal stabbing of Laura Mortimer and her 11-year-old daughter Ella Dalby in Gloucester in 2018.

Probing the death of a child was particularly difficult for officers, Ms Mathers added.

She said: “There isn’t a single one of my officers who wasn’t affected by this case, even those who deal with murders all the time.

“Homicide is the most serious crime, where the victim doesn’t have anyone to seek justice for them. That’s what drives us here in the major crime team to do the best for them and their families.”