Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - A suicidal father who stood in front of a train while holding a two-year-old boy has been jailed for attempted murd£r.
Frederick Danquah, 28 is said to have carried out
the act after learning his ex-partner had moved on.
He and child were injured in the shocking
incident at Garrowhill railway station in Glasgow, which took place
on July 2, 2023.
Frederick denied attempted murd£r and another charge
of culpable and reckless conduct, regarding another incident on the same date,
citing his mental condition as a defence. But he was convicted by a jury at the
High Court in Glasgow last month.
At the same court on Wednesday, the judge said the 'harm
was of the greatest kind' and sentenced Danquah to 10 years in prison. He
also imposed a non-harassment order until the child is 18.
The court heard that earlier that day, Danquah tried to
climb over a footbridge above the M8 in Glasgow with the boy on his shoulders,
after arguing with his ex-partner who told him she had 'moved on'.
After posting a suicidal message on Facebook, he prepared
a 'contingency plan' including a note with contact details, the court heard.
Danquah collected the child from relatives and took
him into Glasgow city centre and met his sister's partner, before he attempted
to climb the bridge over the M8.
He was spotted by police but 'reassured them', the court
heard, before he travelled to Garrowhill station with the child and made an
attempt on their lives.
British Transport Police said Danquah sustained a broken
jaw and fracture to his neck, while the boy suffered cuts and bruises but no
serious injuries, and the child was discharged from hospital two days later.
Sentencing, Judge Tony Kelly said: 'You went to the
platform, picked up the child and walked into the path of a train. You suffered
injuries and the boy was injured.
'To seek to take the life of the child over some hours is
great criminality. I have no doubt about your intentions.
'You meant to have his mother attend his funeral. It is
clear you were most affected by the end of your relationship.
'She moved on, it's clear you felt unable to do so. She
told you she had moved on.
'You were intent on taking your own life on July 2, 2023.
There were opportunities to place the child in the care of others, instead you
took him with you.'
He said a train driver 'saw you step in the path of a
train' and people involved in the rescue were in 'various stages of upset'.
Danquah's ex-partner suffered from anxiety and had given
evidence about seeing the boy in hospital with severe bruising, the court
heard.
Judge Kelly added: 'You considered taking the life of a
two-year-old. You sought to bring about for your partner the death of the boy.
You require to be punished.'
The court heard Danquah had no previous convictions and
was involved in a Ghanaian community group.
Danquah made further attempts on his life, including in
December 2023, the court heard.
Defending, Gary Allan said it was a 'horrible miracle'
and Danquah was receiving psychiatric help since a 'one-off horror story took
place at his own hand'.
Mr Allan said Danquah's ex-partner had written to the
judge to offer a 'substantial degree of support', including 'confirmation of
his relationship with his child' and 'a suggestion of some kind of disbelief
that he could have done this', the court heard.
He added: 'The verdict of the jury was that the mental
condition of the accused was not such that the statutory defence was made
out.
'What the jury didn't do was say that he wasn't suffering
from some kind of depressive condition.'
Mr Allan said Danquah had been 'beaten up by other
prisoners', and jail 'will be living nightmare for him'.
He urged the judge not to impose a non-harassment order,
saying it would 'sever the relationship' with the child.
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