The infant was just a few weeks old when the mother had taken the child to hospital reporting that they had rolled off a bed and hit the floor
A MOTHER shook and dropped her newborn baby, breaking the child’s ribs and shattering his skull. She originally told a lie, saying the infant had fallen off of a mattress, but medical records showed the injuries had been sustained with great force.
In an effort to silence the baby from crying, the mother from the Newport area “squeezed and shook” the infant, according to Cardiff Crown Court sentencing hearing on Thursday. The injuries were “non-accidental,” it was revealed when the infant was transported to the hospital.
The mother was living in a mother and child foster home in another region of Wales at the time of the occurrence. Around 7.50 p.m., the defendant and the infant were sleeping in the bedroom when the foster carer heard a loud bang.
The mother informed her when she got upstairs that the baby was crying because it had “wriggled and rolled” off the bed and hit the laminate floors. The infant was brought to A&E and detained in the hospital for inspection.
According to prosecutor Jeffrey Jones, once scans were done the next day, it was discovered that the infant had two skull fractures, a right subarachnoid haemorrhage, and a left subdural haemorrhage. It didn’t make sense, he continued, that merely sliding onto the floor would not have resulted in those kinds of damage.
Further scans showed the youngster had seven fractured ribs, and it was estimated that the infant had fallen from a height of about half a metre. According to the medical professionals, the “forceful squeezing” of the chest was what had caused the rib damage.
When police spoke with the mother, the woman originally remained silent, but when she learned that the baby had injuries, she read a prepared statement in which she acknowledged that she had squeezed the child and had dropped it because she had been sleep deprived. According to Mr. Jones, the Crown has acknowledged that the defendant had no intention of causing serious injury.
According to him, the mother was upset to learn of the wounds the infant had sustained and did not feel she could “ask for help.” Later, she entered a plea of guilty to two charges of causing great bodily harm. She had a good reputation in the past.
In an effort to lessen the punishment, defence attorney Peter Donnison stated that his client was “very concerned and upset” following the adoption of her kid and was “truly regretful” for the harms she had inflicted. Following her work and independent housing, he claimed the defendant had “changed substantially” since her arrest.
He talked about the woman who had been subjected to domestic abuse at the hands of her mother and said that she had concealed her pregnancy out of dread for her reaction. Later, she relocated to a hostel, although she was mentally ill. She accepts the actions she took when she grew weary and lost her capacity to cope with and raise a child due to the circumstances the child was born into, Mr. Donnison continued.
Judge David Wynn Morgan acknowledged at sentencing that the defendant’s acts were “very careless” rather than “deliberate”. It is not claimed that this was done on purpose, but rather as a result of your inability to manage your annoyance at not being able to stop the child from weeping.
“The local authority was given custody of the child. When questioned about the circumstances surrounding the injuries, you were less than honest and provided explanations that were at odds with the severity of the wounds. These accounts are no longer being maintained by you since they are discredited.
The defendant was given a 24-month prison term that was later suspended for another 24-month period, along with 120 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
