Police shocked as mum dangled baby by wrists

Police shocked as mum dangled baby by wrists

10 December 2014

A BLOOD-SOAKED baby was rescued by police after its mother was spotted dangling the infant by its wrists on the street on a freezing January night.

The child was rescued by police officers and taken into foster care while the mother this week appeared at Downpatrick Crown Court where she admitted cruelty to the child during the January 19 incident.

The mother cannot be named to protect the identity of her young child.

The court was told the baby had been living in squalor in the lead-up to the incident, which came to light when a neighbour reported that the woman had nearly fallen with the infant in her arms.

When they arrived at the scene at 5.40am, police first thought the woman was carrying a doll because of the way in which she was dangling the baby girl by her wrists.

At one stage the woman let go of one of the child’s arms, leaving her hanging by the remaining wrist before “jerking” her upwards.

A police woman rescued the shivering baby, taking her into a warm car where she wrapped her in a blanket and comforted her.

Although the infant was quiet, the police officer said the baby made eye contact with her and touched her face.

The police officer said she removed the baby’s outfit because it was heavily soiled with vomit. It was only then she noticed the baby was saturated in blood from an arm wound.

She also had bruising and marks to her face and a hospital examination later revealed a bruise to her stomach.

While the baby was being cared for in the car, police took the defendant into her home.

The woman, who had initially claimed the baby belonged to a friend before admitting it was her own, said she could not remember her date of birth because she had so many children.

A prosecutor said the defendant, who was talking “gibberish”, took police to check on another child and appeared shocked when the child was not in bed. Police later realised her other children were no longer living with her.

They described a chaotic home with bottles of beer and a knife on the floor, cushions removed from the sofa, unwashed dishes in the sink and a small Rotweiller type dog running around.

The defendant later admitted she had been reckless to get into such a state after taking about 20 Diazepam tablets over two to three days and drinking five to six bottles of beer.

She said she could not recall the night and could not explain the baby’s injuries.

Defence barrister Michael Duffy said the defendant had suffered a traumatic childhood and had drink and drug issues by the age of 14.

He said she had become a drug addict following a bereavement, prompting the departure of her long term partner and other children.

Despite her difficulties, Mr. Duffy said the defendant had made an effort to overcome addiction following the birth of her latest child.

He said she had cared well for the child and maintained her house until just before the January 19 incident.

He said she was seeking all help available to her in the hope that she would become a mother to the child again.

However, sentencing her to two years of probation, Judge Piers Grant QC rejected that the disorder in the home had been due to a recent lapse.

“There is no bed made, no bedroom tidied, soiled clothing lying over the floors,” he said. “I am not impressed by the level of care. There is wall paper peeling off the walls. This is a chaotic house.

“This is a child who has to live in squalor. There are stains all over the armchair and food ingrained on the floor. Every room is in a state of chaos.”

He said it had been “utterly unacceptable” to take a baby into the freezing cold while intoxicated.

“It is a privilege to have children and you have to local after them. Trust is placed in you to look after them,” he said.

“You were not in the position to properly look after and safeguard this child. You failed miserably on this occasion.”

The woman, who bowed her head for most of the proceedings, agreed to seek help during her probationary period.

“This is a child you bore. Your maternal instinct should have come through,” Judge Grant added.

“It is a simple matter to clean up. That is the level of care you should be giving this child.

“It is hardly surprising the child has been taken off you. The court has to protect the child from your failures.”