A PARAMEDIC with more than 30 years' experience broke down in court as he described finding a "glassy-eyed" baby girl and realised she was not breathing.
The man was giving evidence at the start of the trial of Christopher O'Neill, who denies murdering his baby daughter Cárágh.
Three-month-old Cárágh Walsh died on February 7, 2014 - two days after she was taken to hospital from her home in Glasvey Park in Twinbrook, west Belfast.
Mr O'Neill (26), from Whiterock Road in the city, appeared at Craigavon Crown Court, sitting in Armagh, on Tuesday.
The court heard that Cárágh had been left in her father's care but within half an hour he made a 999 call because she had stopped breathing.
The paramedic said he arrived within three minutes to find a "distressed and agitated" O'Neill outside the house.
He said the look on the baby's face was "a glazed look of a child not breathing".
The medic broke down while giving evidence but quickly regained his composure and apologised. He said after he saw the baby girl he immediately tried to resuscitate her.
Cárágh was rushed to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Later in the hospital, the paramedic said he overheard O'Neill indicating to a consultant that he may have given baby Cárágh a "slight shake, not a rattling or extreme shake".
Under cross-examination, the medic accepted that O'Neill was in an "extremely distressed state". He also confirmed he noticed nothing unusual about Cárágh's appearance, or any cuts or bruises.
Another ambulance man said he too did not notice any injuries on Cárágh.
The prosecution barrister said O'Neill claimed, on differing occasions, that he had just lifted the 14-week-old and shook her in an attempt to revive her.
Post-mortem investigations revealed Cárágh suffered a brain injury, fractured limbs and bruises.
They were not consistent with limited shaking, but were more akin to swinging the child by the arms and legs with impacts on her head.
The prosecution suggested that O'Neill may have snapped because his daughter was crying and "must have lost self-control" and caused the injuries identified by the pathologists.
The trial, which is expected to last up to three weeks, continues on Wednesday.
