A DAD has admitted killing his two-month-old baby daughter.

Joseph Ray violently shook tiny Ava Ray at their flat in Prestonpans on November 1, 2012.

The 32-year-old was charged after a near-seven-year probe into the death.

Ray faced a murder accusation at the High Court in Glasgow.

But, prosecutors today (Monday) accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Ray, who latterly worked as a bin man, was remanded pending sentencing next month.

Baby Ava had been born on September 3, 2012.

She was the first child for Ray and his partner Lauren Scott.

Midwives had been "happy" at how they were coping with the newborn.

But prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC said the couple had "arguments" after the birth, mainly over who would do night-time feeds.

On the day of the killing, Ava was left in the care of Ray.

Ms Scott had gone to work at a local bar at 6.30pm.

An hour later, Ray unsuccessfully tried to get his aunt to come over to "watch" Ava while he went for a shower.

At about 10.50pm, Ray went to a neighbour after claiming he had found his daughter to be "cold to the touch".

Miss Edwards said: "He was described as upset and crying."

A 999 call was made and Ray was told to carry out CPR before emergency services arrived.

The advocate depute said: "A paramedic observed immediately that the baby was in cardiac arrest, white in colour, limp and unresponsive."

Ava was rushed to Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Tests revealed her brain had been "starved" of oxygen.

Despite efforts, the baby tragically died early the next morning.

The court heard it was concluded at that time there were "no apparent suspicious circumstances".

Ava's death was initially treated as "unascertained".

Miss Edwards then told how, between 2014 and 2018, "various experts" were consulted about what happened.

She went on: "Following protracted discussions... the medical consensus is now that the pattern of injury... was caused by trauma."

It was concluded that Ava had died due to a "head injury".

Ray, who now lives elsewhere in Prestonpans, had been held by police in October 2013. He was later freed and not charged with any offence.

It was in March 2019 that he first appeared in court in connection with his daughter's death.

The hearing was told today that he initially claimed to police he had put Ava to sleep that night in her Moses basket.

Ray added he later went to give her a feed, lifted the baby up and found her to be "unresponsive".

No further details of the attack were revealed today.

Ray had no previous convictions at the time of the killing.

But he has since been guilty of two "domestic assaults" on Ms Scott. It is not known if the couple are still together.

He had today been accused of assaulting Ava on an earlier occasion and repeatedly attacking Ms Scott. However, prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to those two charges.

Ray had been on bail but was remanded by judge Lady Stacey.

Sentencing was deferred for reports.

Following Ray's court appearance, Detective Inspector David Pinkney of Police Scotland said: “Ray took the life of his daughter.

"Just months old, Ava should have been safest in the care of her father – instead, he inflicted injuries that she would never recover from.

"I would like to thank Ava’s extended family for their support throughout the investigation and I sincerely hope that the punishment handed to Ray offers them some form of closure so that they can begin to move on with their lives."