Courts / Dublin / Report
Mother who recklessly endangered children fails in appeal against five-year sentence
Summary
In July 2022, a 31‑year‑old Dublin mother was sentenced to five years in prison for recklessly endangering her two children, aged two and three, by failing to seek medical care when they were physically abused. She pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment and five counts of child cruelty, including punching her son. The court noted that the children were taken into care and would suffer lifelong trauma. Her appeal, arguing that rehabilitation had not been considered and that part of the sentence should have been suspended, was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The judge had already applied a generous discount for mitigating factors and imposed concurrent jail terms of five and three years, deeming the custodial sentence necessary due to the grave nature of the offences.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mother who recklessly endangered children fails in appeal against five-year sentence. Charges or matters: two counts of reckless endangerment of her children on dates between April and November 2018 at an address in Dublin. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- July 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- November 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-12-07 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: two counts of reckless endangerment of her children on dates between April and November 2018 at an address in Dublin (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Handing down concurrent jail terms of five years and three years, the judge said: "This matter is so grave, a custodial sentence has to be imposed." ***** The court previously heard that the abuse came to light when the woman brought her daughter to hospital with injuries that were not considered by medical staff to be accidental. The woman's partner, who was initially accused of raping the toddler girl with an object, was last October jailed for five years for reckless endangerment and for child cruelty towards the two children.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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