Sponsored by
Couple jailed over 'deeply shocking' baby cruelty
A SEVERE case of nappy rash alerted doctors to a catalogue of abuse of a baby which led to a South Yorkshire couple being jailed for two-and-a-half years each.
Horrified medics who took the eight-month-old boy to hospital could not believe how bad the rash was, but even more serious injuries were revealed when paediatrics experts examined him.
The tot, who cannot be identified, had three breaks to his left leg which had never been treated. That explained why a neighbour had heard him crying for hours on end.
Neither his mother nor her boyfriend would admit to causing any of the injuries, so they were both prosecuted for cruelty to a child by failing to obtain medical attention when he was clearly injured.
The mother, aged 22, has since married the 29-year-old man who lived with her in Mexborough, near Rotherham.
The pair went on the run to Bridlington to spend their last few days together before going to prison. A warrant was issued for their arrest.
Judge Jacqueline Davies saw photos of the nappy rash. Doctors and nurses said it was the worst they had ever seen.
She told Doncaster Crown Court the baby had been in pain and distress for three weeks before his mother called an ambulance when he stopped breathing.
"The rash in his lower region is deeply, deeply shocking and the discomfort it caused for this little boy is unimaginable," she said.
"This is a case which must result in a custodial sentence."
The couple were jailed for two years and six months for the neglect, and for a consecutive 28 days for jumping bail.
Prosecutor Kath Goddard said there had been no concerns about the baby until his mother moved to Mexborough to live with her boyfriend.
Three months later the mother dialled 999 because her son stopped breathing. Paramedics revived him three times on the way to hospital.
Ms Goddard said there was no obvious cause for his collapse, "but what was blindingly obvious to the paramedics was that he was suffering serious wounds to his bottom and groin".
Doctors found fractures of his left femur, tibia and fibula which experts thought had been caused separately and were all non-accidental.
Hospital staff told police the baby seemed "unusually fearful" of his mother and that the boyfriend rarely visited him.
The child is now in care.
The man and woman each denied responsibility for any wrongdoing, said Ms Goddard.
A paediatric consultant said the fractures would have caused the child to scream in pain and would have been caused by major force.
Got a view? Leave a comment below.
Follow The Star on Twitter and Facebook:
For breaking news and sport follow The Star on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sheffieldstar and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sheffieldstar .
JOIN THE STAR READER PANEL: The Star is YOUR newspaper, so tell us what you think about it and what you want to see - CLICK HERE.
Don't miss our daily pull-outs - only in the The Star: Monday Star Sport, Tuesday Class Act; Wednesday Business; Thursday Grassroots; Friday Time Out; Saturday Retro. Subscribe to The Star - CLICK HERE
READ MORE
Join the Star reader panel
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
