An inquest has ruled a father who viciously assaulted his baby then poisoned himself while standing in the Isleworth Crown Court dock committed suicide.

Anandakumar Ratnasabapathy, 40, is thought to be the first person to ever kill themselves in court, after slipping 60 crushed sleeping pills into a Coca-Cola bottle and downing the contents before the judge.

The inquest at West London Coroners court heard yesterday how the father had repeatedly warned he would commit suicide if he was convicted of the brutal attack upon his three-month-old daughter that left her epileptic, quadriplegic and partially blind.

The baby girl now requires round-the-clock care and has only 50 per cent chance of reaching 18 after she suffered a heart attack caused by Ratnasabapathy deliberately blocking her nose and mouth.

The inquest heard how the Sri Lankan-born father put his hand in a carrier bag and took out something wrapped in paper, before quickly pouring the powder into the bottle of water, shaking it and downing it.

Ratnasbapathy was taken to hospital after the incident but died an hour later.