Father-of-three Alan Noakes was a loud and fun character.

But behind his laughing exterior lay his downfall - a terrible temper.

Football fan Noakes, who at the time of his arrest was working as a security officer for British Rail, committed his terrible crimes after starting relationships with the victims' mothers.

All spoke of how Noakes would punch walls and doors when losing his temper during an argument. Even Noakes conceded he did that to stop him punching the person he was having an argument with.

The youngsters bore the brunt of his fury. Noakes would often lose his temper with them, hitting them or abusing them to try to stop them screaming or crying.

The court heard of striking similarities in his relationships. All the mothers were aged between 18 and 22 when they started seeing Noakes.

After all the assaults, Noakes would either deny all responsibility - or claim the mother was responsible.

One tactic he tried was mysteriously vanishing from the couples' homes after the attacks to make it look like the mother had been left alone with the child, so framing her.

But that started wearing thin when he admitted to police officers trying it after assaulting a three-month-old baby.

Noakes admitted wounding the baby back in 1996 and was sentenced to two years in prison for the crime.

Under British law a jury is not usually told of a defendant's previous convictions - but, in a rare move, Noakes told the Chelmsford Crown Court jury of the offence.

The conviction led to an extensive police investigation into Noakes' past and he admitted to the jury that he feared a "gate arrest" - being arrested as he left prison after serving his sentence.

Noakes was eventually arrested almost a year ago. First conviction

Noakes was first convicted of an assault after an incident on July 29, 1985.

Then, aged just 22, he was changing a three-month-old's nappy when the boy urinated on him.

It is thought Noakes then vigorously shook or punched the baby on the leg, causing the limb to "go all limp".

Dr Janet Porter, who examined the baby when admitted to hospital, told the jury the injury was caused by a "twisting and wrenching" motion that was inflicted by a "significant degree of force".

The force "could not be provided without appreciating the level of it", the doctor said. Both Noakes and the baby's mother were arrested - and the court heard Noakes accepted blame for the incident but denied he had deliberately hurt the baby.

But the jury were told how worried Noakes had given three different explanations for the incident to police officers and a probation officer. Even a cot death didn't stop him

Even a death did not stop Alan Noakes and his battering.

He certainly didn't learn his lesson after initially getting away with Stephen Copperwheat's manslaughter - because just over a year later he badly battered a two-year-old girl.

He started a relationship with the mother after meeting her through the lonely hearts columns in a local paper.

And he would regularly visit her South Ockendon home, often staying for the night.

The two-year-old girl was discovered on the morning of November 24 1993 with terrible facial injuries - including nose and lip swelling, a completely closed eye, marks to the forehead and scratches to the neck.

One relative who saw the girl said she "looked like she had gone 10 rounds with Frank Bruno".

It is thought Noakes, who had stayed at the home that evening, punched her and possibly slammed her head against a hard surface after going to check on her during the night.

Noakes blamed the mother for the attack - and then tried his trademark disappearing act the next morning.

Initially the child said her mother had attacked her with a distinctive elephant toy - but she later admitted that Noakes had punched her.

The child's father, who had separated from the mother, said he had never noticed a mark on his daughter until Noakes arrived on the scene.

The jury at Chelmsford Crown Court watched intensely as the mother broke down in tears as she was accused of hitting her daughter - and carrying out the terrible assault.

The mother was convicted of wilful neglect for not seeking medical attention for the girl earlier - she waited 10 hours before taking her to hospital.

But Noakes again escaped a conviction.

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