A man today admitted with the police that he shook his partner's 11-month-old daughter violently and then threw her into the cot, fracturing her skull, a court heard.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named on court order, told the police that after spending an entire day and night at the Zabbar feast, the girl's crying was too much for him.

The Zabbar man is charged with the attempted murder of the baby girl in Hamrun home on 12 September.

The girl underwent surgery due to several fractures to her skull. She is now in stable condition.

Police inspector Edel Mary Camilleri said the man had initially blamed his girlfriend, only to change his version and admit his involvement.

He told police he, his girlfriend and three children, aged seven, four and 11 months, were at the Zabbar feast where they drank and consumed drugs.  They returned home at about 5am.

The baby was crying and making noises that he found "unbearable", so he picked her up, shook her and violently threw her into the cot.

The baby hit her head against the cot. The baby’s leg got lodged in between the cot's boards and sustained a broken femur.

Inspector Camilleri said the three children all had a foul smell. They also had dirt under their finger nails and looked as if they had not washed "for quite some time".