SINGAPORE, Oct. 21 -- Little Trevor Neo was a cheerful baby who rarely cried, loved being carried and always wanted someone to hug him.

But behind closed doors, the eight-month-old was being shaken, smothered and beaten by the very parents he depended on for love and protection.

Now, as his parents face lengthy jail terms over his death, Trevor's grandmother and aunt have recalled the smiling little boy they adored - and their disbelief that his father could have subjected him to such cruelty.

"He always wanted people to hug him," his aunt told The Straits Times after the couple were sentenced at Singapore's High Court today.

Trevor's father, Neo Jia Ming, 27, was jailed for 16 years, while his mother, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, received ...