Sandra Higgins discharged as baby harm charge dropped

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Sandra Higgins was discharged from a charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to a baby at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 July 2018. Judge Melanie Greally entered a nolle prosequi following an application by the prosecution.

The charge related to an alleged incident at Higgins’s home in Cavan on 28 March 2012. She had pleaded not guilty during four previous trials.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will not pursue a fifth trial. The fourth trial ended in June 2018 when Judge Pauline Codd discharged the jury. She ruled that there was a reasonable doubt Higgins could not get a fair trial after email communications between expert witnesses were not passed on to the defence. The judge told the jury this occurred through “no wilful action” by gardaí or anybody else.

The proceedings were reported on 12 July 2018. A court order prohibits publication of anything that would identify the child.