A West End man avoided a possible death sentence Thursday when a jury convicted him of a lesser murder charge in the death of his 2-month-old son.

        The verdict came after three days of testimony about how Kenneth Hughes punched his son, Joshua, in the head while giving him a bath last September.

        Mr. Hughes, 27, eventually admitted to police that he inflicted the fatal blow because the child would not stop crying.

        Although he was charged with aggravated murder, the jury convicted him of the lesser charge of murder.

        Defense attorneys had argued that he should not be convicted of aggravated murder — which would make him eligible for a death sentence — because he did not intend to kill the boy.

        Prosecutors, however, said the attack was so violent that the only possible purpose was to kill Joshua.

        Prosecutors say Joshua died Sept. 23, 1999, while Mr. Hughes was baby-sitting. After striking the child, they say, Mr. Hughes dressed the baby and returned him to his crib.

        His wife discovered the baby was dead when she checked on him later that evening.

        The jury convicted Mr. Hughes of murder and felonious assault. Mr. Hughes now faces 23 years to life in prison.

        He will be sentenced by Judge Mark Schweikert on Oct. 13 in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

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