'Our life has been ruined' - Mum's horror as Blackpool woman jailed for snatching baby near Coral Island

The new mum spoke out in court as Nicolette Goldrick, 51, took to the stand at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced for the attempted abduction of a baby girl.

This is the first picture issued by police of the 51-year-old who was today jailed for 12 months after the incident involving a seven-month-old baby near Coral Island in Blackpool.

In a victim personal statement read out in court the baby’s mother, who was sitting in the public gallery during the hearing, described how her husband had suffered from “terrible” nightmares and anxiety.

She described how their daughter, targeted in Blackpool town centre was “a baby we had waited for and longed for”.

She couldn’t believe what happened in front of her eyes, it had been “terrifying” and she wondered what would have happened if Goldrick had got away with the child. Would she have killed her or sold her?

The mother also revealed that she had suffered abuse on social media after the incident had been reported by people “who didn’t know the truth”.

She said her husband had suffered from “terrible” nightmares and anxiety. And it had taken a lot for her to return to work after the incident because she just felt like giving up her job.

The couple had now put a harness on the pram and also a tracker. The mum said she was wary of others and wouldn’t let her daughter out of her sight in case someone took her. “Our life has been ruined in a big way,” she said.

Nicolette Goldrick walked off with the girl in a pushchair while her mother’s back was turned,

She was apprehended down the road after shop staff alerted her mum.

The 51-year-old, who was said in court to have mental health issues, pleaded guilty to abducting the child in Blackpool in May and was sent to prison for a year.

Judge Daniel Prowse was told that on other occasions Goldrick, whose own children had been taken into care, had been seen with a doll in a pram pretending it was her son – she had even asked neighbours to babysit him.

But the judge decided that while her mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, may have affected her behaviour that day – she was also intoxicated - they could not fully excuse her actions.

Appearing before Preston Crown Court Goldrick also admitted assaulting a policewoman by spitting at her while being arrested and, in an unrelated incident, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing a bladed weapon in a bakery in the resort.

The court heard the child’s mother had been working at a shop in Central Drive and had been forced to take her child to work with her because of a staffing shortage.

CCTV footage of the incident showed her standing next to the pram on the pavement outside to oversee a delivery. As she momentarily looked away to sign an invoice Goldrick, who was wearing a facemask, slipped in between them, took hold of the pushchair handles and slowly walked off down the street.

A member of the shop staff spotted what had happened and asked the mother “do you know her”? The mum quickly realised what had just happened, shouted at Goldrick “what are you doing?” and ran down the street to grab her pram.

Goldrick did not respond and simply walked away. But she returned to the scene later that afternoon dressed in different clothing. The mother’s husband recognised her and called the police.

While being put in the back of a police van she was seen to draw her head back and then spit forcibly towards the officer. She smelled strongly of alcohol and had slurred speech.

Barrister David Polglase, prosecuting, said the other incident involving Goldrick happened before the abduction and she was on police bail for that at the time she tried to steal the baby.

He said Goldrick had pushed her way into the Cottage Bakery in Blackpool one day and slammed her hands down on the counter. She had shouted “a life for a life” and after some incomprehensible remarks she said: “I am going to get justice.”

The woman behind the counter tried to take her food order but Goldrick continued her rant, turning to a customer and shouting: “What are you looking at?”

At that point she produced a small knife from her bag and pointed it towards a customer, waving it across in a cutting motion. She was ushered out and shortly later arrested.

The woman in the bakery told police she had been fearful and had never experienced anything like it in 12 years working there.

Mr Polglas said Goldrick had seven offences on her criminal record, including being drunk in charge of a child.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, said his client had suffered two bereavements in the period before the offences and revealed “her mental health condition has had a significant impact on her offending”.

She had been sectioned in April spending two weeks in hospital and there had been a deterioration in her mental state.

She had been “taking out a doll telling people it was her yound son and asking people if they were in a position to babysit the doll”.

“She was intoxicated at the time (of the attempted abduction) but the root cause is not alcohol or drugs it is the fact her mental health disorder.”

Judge Prowse told Goldrick he was satisfied her mental health had been a factor in how she had behaved.

But he said he had to consider the impact of the attempted abduction on the child’s parents. They had said it was the worst day of their lives, he said, and they had been terrified by what could have happened to their “precious” daughter.

“To have a child abducted by a stranger is every parent’s nightmare.” He added that even though it had only been a brief incident “it doesn’t make it any less frightening for them”.

“I am satisfied that you were affected by mental illness at the time of these offences.”

Judge Prowse sentenced Goldrick to a total of 12 months and made her the subject of a restraining order banning her from “going to or remaining at” the shop where it happened for the next five years.