This article is from page 9 of the 2012-02-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
A MAN has received a three-year prison sentence for an incident in which a 10-month-old baby suffered “horrific injuries”.
At Clare Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, Larry Connors (19) with an address at Cronan Lawn, Shannon, was convicted on a charge of child cruelty and neglect.
The charge arose out of an incident in the Shannon area in December (2010) during which a 10-month-old boy suffered a broken leg, arms, a dislocated right elbow, multiple bruising, marks and significant bleeding to the brain. The court heard that the mother found Connors in a room holding the child, who had blood on his face, on the night in question.
Garda David Laing told the court that the injuries included a bite mark to the face and injuries consistent with burning. In her victim impact statement, the child’s mother said, “He used to slap, punch, and throw my child around the place like a toy.” She said at the height of the abuse, Connors became “psychotic”, locking himself into the room with the baby and screaming at him.
She said her son is now “fine and running around” but will require further treatment for a dislocated elbow and a tear in his mouth. The court heard that the baby was brought to hospital last January following the incident.
The court heard that a doctor reported the injuries to Gardaí through a social worker. The incident gave rise to a Garda investigation. The court heard that Connors and the child’s mother moved in together in December (2010).
In a statement to Gardaí, the boy’s mother said that it was at this point that Connors became abusive to the baby. One day when the baby was crying, the court heard, Connors pushed him into his high chair with his foot and tightened the straps causing the child to be out of breath.
The court heard that the child was subsequently placed in care for six months. The baby is now back living with his mother.
Barrister Brian McInerney said his client came from an “extremely dysfunctional family”. He said he had received no education and his father was a very strict disciplinarian.
He said Connors was “ill prepared, ill trained and ill conditioned to the stresses that come with minding a small baby”. He said the accused was “deeply remorseful” for his actions.
Imposing a three-year sentence, Judge Carroll Moran acknowledged Connors’ guilty plea. He added that Connors would suffer additional opprobrium from other prisoners because of the nature of his crime.
Judge Moran said, “The injuries were pretty horrific on a defenceless baby.” Judge Moran imposed reporting restrictions.