Courts / Meath / Report
Mother who slapped, boxed and threatened five children walks from court after jail sentence quashed
Summary
The Court of Appeal quashed the original custodial sentence imposed on a 38‑year‑old mother who had been jailed for one year on five counts of cruelty to her children aged 11 to four. She had pleaded guilty and received a two‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended. The appeal argued that the trial judge had not fully considered her rehabilitation efforts, citing her completion of educational courses, a 12‑week alcohol treatment programme, and ongoing counselling. The Court of Appeal agreed, finding the trial judge had made an error in principle regarding the custodial element. The new sentence is a fully suspended two‑year term, effective from the date of the appeal, taking into account time already served. The children remain in care and the mother meets them bi‑weekly. The case was heard by Justice Tara Burns, with counsel for the State and the appellant present.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mother who slapped, boxed and threatened five children walks from court after jail sentence quashed. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- March 8 Other
- September 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-04-19 Publication
Why: The woman (38), who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of her children, was jailed at Trim Circuit Criminal Court just last month on five counts of cruelty to her children who were aged between 11 and four years old at the time. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The woman (38), who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of her children, was jailed at Trim Circuit Criminal Court just last month on five counts of cruelty to her children who were aged between 11 and four years old at the time. The woman pleaded guilty and was jailed for two years with the final 12 months suspended on all five counts, with the concurrent sentences to run from March 8.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Trim
- Trim Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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