Teen De’Marquise Elkins gets life for shooting baby dead

A teenager who shot dead a 13-month baby during a botched mugging in Georgia will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

De’Marquise Elkins, 18, showed little emotion as he was handed a life sentence for the murder of toddler Antonio Santiago.

The baby’s grieving mother, Sherry West, had made an emotional plea to the Judge Stephen Kelley to punish the gunman for taking ‘the love of my life’.

‘He aimed that gun right between that baby’s eyes and shot that baby,’ district attoey Jackie Johnson said.

‘I don’t know of a more inhumane act or wantonly vile act … than to aim a gun at a sleeping baby in a stroller and take that baby’s life.’

Murdered: Baby Antonio was shot in the head as he slept by two boys who attempted to rob his mother

Baby killer: De’Marquise Elkins has been given a life sentence (Picture: AP)

Sherry West, mother of toddler Antonio Santiago, testifies in court during the trial of De’Marquise Elkins (Picture: AP)

Ms West was walking to her home in the picturesque town of Brunswick when Elkins unveiled a .22-calibre revolver and began asking for money.

He shot the mother in the leg after she refused several times before shooting the baby in the head at point-blank range.

Defence lawyer Kevin Gough said he was ‘disappointed’ with the verdict.

‘Life without parole for a juvenile, our position remains, is cruel and unusual punishment,’ he said