A man who inflicted a brain injury on a seven-month-old baby when he was left alone with the child for nine minutes has been jailed.

Derek Barr was sentenced to six years in prison for seizing hold of the boy and repeatedly shaking him causing trauma to the victim's head at a flat in Motherwell in January last year.

A judge told the 22-year-old from Hamilton: "By shaking the baby repeatedly you caused severe injury, impairment and you have accepted this was an assault to the danger of life."

Lord Beckett said at the High Court in Edinburgh: "Having regard to the gravity of your crime and its consequences there is no suitable alternative to a prison sentence."

The brain injury has led to cerebral palsy in the child who has suffered impairment.

He said: "You have pled guilty to a very serious charge of assaulting a defenceless baby of seven months."

Lord Beckett ordered that Barr's case should be referred to Scottish Ministers to decide whether his name should be included on a list of those unsuitable to work with children.

Barr earlier admitted assaulting the baby to his severe injury, impairment and to the danger of his life when he was briefly left alone with the victim.

The baby's mum returned to find the child "floppy and unresponsive" in his arms.

Barr initially told the mum to inform police that the baby was hurt after choking on his bottle.

But she later told officers: "I knew it was him that done it."

The court heard a neighbour had heard a baby crying and a man shouting, as if in a "pure rage", hours before the attack.

Advocate depute Kath Harper said the mother confirmed her son was fit and well when she left but was unresponsive in Barr's arms when she returned nine minutes later.

An ambulance was called and the child was rushed to hospital.

He was found to have a brain injury, bleeding in his eyes and bruises to his stomach and head.

The prosecutor said: "It was thought at one point the child would not survive. He did and has recovered to some degree."

The child spent five weeks in hospital before being allowed home.