A father has admitted killing his baby son after squeezing the three-month-old so hard that he choked.

Christopher Johnson, 30, also admitted fracturing Aaron Johnson's ribs on three previous occasions before his death in the early hours of March 22,1999.

On the first day of his trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Johnson changed his plea from not guilty to murder to guilty of manslaughter.

Prosecutor Robin Spencer QC told the court how after "considerable thought" the Crown was willing to accept his plea.

Mr Spencer said: "The defendant accepts that on four separate occasions he inflicted injury to his baby son in a similar way."

Johnson also pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm on the basis that between December 19, 1998 and March 22, 1999 he fractured his son's ribs by squeezing him against his chest.

Mr Spencer said: "The plea which is entered is a specimen of three previous instances.

"On all four occasions fractures of the baby's ribs were caused, but on the final occasion, on March 21, 1999, the squeezing continued to the point where the baby asphyxiated."

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted Johnson's plea after pathologist James Sunter agreed that it was possible Johnson could have thought the baby was asleep after the final fatal attack.

Johnson, of Glenallen Gardens, Cullercoats, North Tyneside, had been on bail, but was remanded in custody after yesterday's hearing.

He will be sentenced on Friday after the preparation of reports.