A FATHER wrongly accused of almost shaking his baby son to death spoke yesterday after his conviction was quashed.

Michael Faulder, 36, is looking forward to rebuilding his relationship with the youngster, but cannot forget the "six years of hell" spent trying to clear his name.

The Northern Echo reported yesterday how his conviction for grievous bodily harm was finally overturned at London's High Court.

He said: "Now that I have cleared my name I want to be reunited with my son. I want to build up a relationship with him. I haven't seen him for so long although I don't just want to charge in there."

Mr Faulder was jailed for two and a half years following an incident seven years ago when he had been looking after his son for the evening and he fell from his chair.

He said: "What's happened has ruined my life. I've had threats on my life, spent 15 months in prison with paedophiles and rapists, and had trouble building any relationships.

Mr Faulder, of Deckham, Gateshead, found himself at the centre of a hate campaign.

"I had threats on my life, people looking at me in dirty ways and I was worried I might get jumped on."

In 1999, at Teesside Crown Court, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years for causing grievous bodily harm.

He spent the next 15 months at HMP Holme House, in Stockton.

Pleading his innocence throughout and following his release from prison, Mr Faulder contacted the Criminal Cases Review Commission before his case was referred to the Appeal Court last year.

The court's decision could pave the way for more than 90 other convictions involving so called "shaken baby syndrome" to be challenged.

"What's happened to me has enlightened me as a person - whether that is a good or bad thing, I don't know," he said.