Courts / Ireland / Report
Mother jailed for 'drenching' son in boiling water as judge commends social worker's courage
Summary
A mother was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm to her 20‑month‑old son, false imprisonment of a social care worker and possession of a large kitchen knife. The court heard that the infant suffered 18 % total body surface area scald burns to his face, neck and upper body, leaving permanent disfiguring scarring. The mother, who had a depressive disorder and a mild intellectual disability, pleaded guilty to the assault and false imprisonment. The judge noted the aggravating factors of the breach of trust, the severity of the injuries and the mother's failure to take prescribed medication. The sentence for the assault was reduced from a headline 14‑year term to nine years, with the final two years suspended for two years. The false‑imprisonment and knife charges carried a two‑year term, also suspended for two years, and all sentences run concurrently, back‑dated to 9 October 2019.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mother jailed for 'drenching' son in boiling water as judge commends social worker's courage. Charges or matters: intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to one of the two children on the same date; producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a large kitchen knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person on the same occasion. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 9, 2019 Incident
- November 7 Other
- October 2018 Other
- December 2018 Other
- February 2019 Other
- October 9 Other
- 2022-10-06 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to one of the two children on the same date; producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a large kitchen knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person on the same occasion (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A knife-wielding mother who "drenched" her infant son in boiling water and said 'I want to kill my children and myself' whilst falsely imprisoning a social care worker has been jailed for seven years. He suspended the final two years of the nine year sentence imposed for assault causing serious harm and false imprisonment for a period of two years.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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