Karim Shaheed Salahuddin could walk free from prison next year for killing his six-month old daughter Cassidy after his murder conviction was reduced to a ten-year manslaughter sentence yesterday.

The Court of Appeal quashed Salahuddin?s life sentence ? which holds a minimum of 25 years in prison before going before a parole board ? and a new ten-year sentence was handed down. Salahuddin, 21, of Serpentine Road, Pembroke was convicted on October 27, 2004 by a jury which found he had shaken Cassidy violently on May 5, 2003.

Salahuddin has been on remand since May 2003 and can apply for parole in November 2006, when he would have served one-third of his sentence.

Acting Appeals Court President Anthony Evans refused Salahuddin?s application for a retrial. Last week the Appeals Justices heard new evidence presented by Salahuddin?s lawyers which challenged the very existence of ?shaken baby syndrome?.

Salahuddin has maintained that he slipped and fell and dropped Cassidy while carrying her in a pumpkin seat. He claimed the seat ? with the girl strapped in ? rolled down a steep asphalt driveway.

Reports from renowned paediatric forensic pathologist Dr. Janice Ophoven and biomechanical engineer Dr. Kirk Thibault were quoted extensively by defence lawyers John Perry QC and Liz Christopher.

Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham-Allen vociferously defended both the prosecution?s case and its experts, calling the new evidence a ?controversial medical hypothesis? that had been tested during the trial.

Evidence and testimony had also been ?overwhelming? against the defence and that he had been given ?a fair trial?.

Last night, Cassidy?s mother, Amy McHarg told The Royal Gazette: ?Women should know he?s obviously a monster. ?I don?t want him to have to opportunity to do this to someone else. He had shown no remorse.?

Ms Mcharg said the appeal process had been extremely hard because she had to relive gruesome evidence of Cassidy?s injuries.

?It does not feel like justice. I am disappointed at the judges. Ten years is definitely not enough. It will not get any easier,? she said. ?I am just not looking forward to him getting out because I am angry.?

In a victim impact statement Ms McHarg said when she wanted to visit her daughter she had to go to a graveyard.

Salahuddin showed no emotion. ?I can?t pick her up or hug and kiss her,? she said. ?I have suffered so much because of this violent and senseless act. I lost my little girl. I will never see her first day in school, the first time she rides a bike, or her graduate.?

Ms McHarg said 30 months after Cassidy?s killing, she still had nightmares and although she now had a new baby girl she no longer trusted anyone else to care for her. ?I have a very hard time letting her out of my sight,? she said. ?I lost some of myself too. I am no longer sure who I am.?

And the financial burden of Cassidy?s killing included losing a job, six months of $150 counselling sessions twice a week and a $1,010 funeral, she said. ?I had a job I loved in a nursery school,? she wrote. ?But after Cassidy was killed they decided I could no longer work at the nursery.?

During his Salahuddin?s new sentencing, Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Vinette Graham-Ellen said any person convicted of manslaughter was liable to prison for life.

But Ms Christopher said Salahuddin was a loving father who was visibly upset and tearful visiting his child at the hospital.

?He accepts the impact to the mother and grandmother,? Ms Christopher said. ?Mr. Salahuddin is a young man who suffered from diabetes. Certainly, he could have had an episode if he did not eat regularly.?

Ms Christopher also said Salahuddin was a young man who was not experienced in the world.Ms Christopher said both Dr. Ophoven and Dr. Thibault supported Salahuddin?s version of events, and said the Justices should take this into consideration, adding: ?They both felt it needed to be investigated further.?

Mr. Justice Evans said a written judgement would be handed down by the Appeals Court ? which was also made up of former Chief Justice Austin Ward and Sir Charles Mantell ? that gave the reasons for why a lessor charge was given, however, it was not available yesterday.