Iskander Kechiche

Iskander Kechiche, a 49-year-old man from Elkstone Close in Worcester, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison at Worcester Crown Court on June 22, 2026, after pleading guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) under Section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

The conviction stems from an incident in July 2021 when Kechiche violently shook his then three-and-a-half-month-old son while alone with the child. On July 29, 2021, Kechiche called emergency services, claiming his son had fallen from a sofa. However, medical staff became suspicious when the baby was found in cardiac arrest, leading to police notification and Kechiche's arrest two days later.

Medical experts concluded that the trauma was a non-accidental head injury consistent with violent shaking, which left the child with severe, life-changing disabilities. The boy, now five years old, is under the care of family members and supported by specialist health and medical services.

Kechiche was initially charged on June 28, 2024, with causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm. This charge was later amended in court to Section 18 GBH before his guilty plea for the lesser Section 20 offence was accepted on May 18, 2026. The judge considered Kechiche's guilty plea and the fact that it was his first offense when imposing the sentence, with the maximum possible sentence for the offense being five years.