The court heard that Peake's wife had a difficult birth with complications, and the couple were struggling to adapt to their new lives as their baby had feeding and sleep issues due to colic and reflux.
Late one night, when the baby would not settle in her bassinet, Peake tried to shush her and bounce her in his arms, but she became increasingly unsettled. Prosecutor Ethan Heywood told the court: "He grabbed her under the armpits and shook her three times before telling her to 'shut the f--- up'."
Peake later confessed he "lost his shit". His wife then took the baby to the lounge and called a midwife, fearing injury to the child. Peake sat with his head in his hands before going with his family to Perth Children's Hospital, where he fully admitted what he had done. He then called his senior sergeant and was later arrested, making full admissions in a recorded interview.
Peake's lawyer Stuart Counsel told Magistrate Paul Lyons that his client had worked in the homicide squad as a case manager and had previously Tasered a man holding a knife, adding to the stress of a "traumatic start to parenthood". The magistrate imposed a community-based order, the details of which were not disclosed in court reports.