Courts / Limerick / Report
Man in "truly horrific" child cruelty case has sentence increased to maximum
Summary
In February 2012, Larry Connors, aged 21, was sentenced to three years in prison for child cruelty after pleading guilty to assaulting a 10‑month‑old baby between 15 December 2010 and 3 January 2011. The baby suffered fractures to both arms, a dislocated right elbow, bruising, a burn on the right calf and brain bleeding, and was taken to Midwestern Regional Hospital in Limerick. Connors, who lived in Shannon, Co Clare, was not the child's father. The mother described Connors slapping, pinching, punching and throwing the baby for three weeks. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient. The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Justice Nial Fennelly, increased the sentence to the maximum of seven years, suspending the final two years. The appeal was based on the claim that the guilty plea did not save witnesses from giving evidence and that the original discount of over 50 % was an error.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man in "truly horrific" child cruelty case has sentence increased to maximum. Charges or matters: child cruelty on dates between December 15 2010, and January 3, 2011; the offence and the matter went to trial, where the mother of the baby underwent cross-examination and the chief medical witness was also called; the offence in February 2012. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 2012 Incident
- December 15 2010 Incident
- January 3, 2011 Incident
- 2014-02-03 Publication
Why: Mr Costelloe said he was happy to be able to tell the court that the child was now doing rather well, although he requires speech therapy because of a tear injury to his mouth. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: child cruelty on dates between December 15 2010, and January 3, 2011; the offence and the matter went to trial, where the mother of the baby underwent cross-examination and the chief medical witness was also called; the offence in February 2012 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Larry Connors (21) was jailed for three years by Judge Carroll Moran at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court having pleaded guilty to child cruelty on dates between December 15 2010, and January 3, 2011. The DPP had appealed against the sentence imposed by Judge Moran on the grounds that it was too lenient.
Places mentioned
- Midwestern Regional Hospital
- Ennis
- Ennis Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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