Child abuse mum jailed for 18 months

A mum who left her toddler with a horrific catalogue of injuries been sent to prison for 18 months.
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Pic posed by model

The little girl was left with bruises all over her body and cuts that may have been inflicted with a razor.The 23-year-old Chorley woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted the little girl in 2014, Preston’s Sessions House court was told.During a medical examination the youngster was found to have bruising to her left thigh, abdomen, chest, back, cheek, soles of her feet and forehead, as well as grazes, and two long scratches to her thigh and buttock.The tot has since been the subject of family court proceedings.The woman admitted wilfully assaulting a child in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury.Prosecuting, Clare Larton said the defendant’s daughter was under two years old in 2014 when all of the allegations took place.She said: “She had bruising affecting most parts of her body, head and face, trunk (both front and back), and extremities, both the upper and lower limbs, including the soles of the feet.“Along with the bruises, she also had numerous abrasions and scratches, and a significant cut on the bridge of the nose.”She added doctors had collectively concluded that some injuries were deliberately inflicted through assaults and were not accidental, including:large bruise on the left cheektwo bruises above the right nipplebruising near to the left nipplemultiple bruises over the lower abdomenmultiple bruises on the backbruising on the left buttockbruise near the right elbowabrasion near the left elbowinjuries to the soles of the feetThe court heard the mum told doctors on April 19, 2014, that the child had been running and skidded on the pavement and that this fall had resulted in a number of injuries, including the bruise on the forehead above the left eye, the graze on the left arm below the elbow, and injuries to the nose. She gave an explanation about playing with a razor in respect of the cut to the upper lip area. It was broadly accepted by the medical professionals that these explanations were possibly correct.The defendant told doctors that scratches on the left knee and on the outer side of the left thigh were caused by the pet cat - but this was not accepted by prosecutors.Miss Larton added: “Overall the child has a large number of marks. Doctors concluded that they were excessive for a child of her age.“Doctors did agree that the marks at the front of each knee are quite likely to be accidental as the child was likely to be independently mobile; and it was therefore very common for young mobile children to bump into things, and this commonly causes minor bruising at the front of the legs at and near the knees.“The fine laceration at the left buttock was said to be an unusual injury. Although part of it was outside the nappy, much is in an area covered by the nappy. They were of the opinion that it is hard to see how this could have occurred accidentally. The bruise in front of the left ear is most likely inflicted. This area is not generally injured accidentally, whereas it is the case that adults slap children, and a common area to be slapped is the side of the face. She had some injuries which could be accidental. These could include the bruises at the forehead, though children do not usually have so many accidental forehead injuries at one and the same time, and scratches and scabs at and below the knees.“Adults do slap and hit children, and a common site for a slap is the cheek. This is not a common site for an accidental injury. “There appears to be no explanation as to how this bruise may have occurred, and no evidence of a request for help. The absence of both led doctors to say that in their opinion that was an inflicted injury.“The soles of the feet are an uncommon site for accidental injuries, excepting, for example a child stepping on broken glass and cutting herself, which would be expected definitely to be a memorable event.“In the opinion of the doctors, the injuries to the soles of the feet are very likely to have been inflicted.”Judge Simon Newell imposed an immediate jail term.

Anyone concerned about a child can call the NSPCC in confidence on 0808 8005000, children in need of help can speak to Childline on 0800 1111.