Leeds mum inflicted shocking injuries upon her three-year-old son and left out bottle of bleach hoping the child would drink it

A woman admitted inflicting horrific injuries to her three-year-old son because she "resented being a mother".
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Hospital staff and social workers were shocked when the child was examined and found to have 80 bruises to his head and body.

The child's mum eventually admitted causing the injuries at her home in Leeds after she initially tried to blame her boyfriend.

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The woman went on to admit to police that she had left out a bottle of bleach with a straw in at her home in the hope that the child would drink it.

Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

She also told officers how she had opened a window and left out some ladders in the hope that the infant would climb out.

Leeds Crown Court heard harrowing details of the abuse as the woman was sentenced.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has chosen not to name the defendant in order to protect the identify of the child.

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The woman, aged in her 20s, pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty.

The offending came to light when the mother took her son to the home of her boyfriend's mother.

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She challenged the child's mother about the injuries and the defendant said he had fallen.

She claimed she did not know if the child had fallen in the bath or the garden but that she was "guilty of nothing but not watching him."

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The boyfriend's mother alerted social services and social workers saw the child the next day.

The social workers were shocked and "had never seen anything so bad."

The boy was taken to A & E before being placed in child protection.

Doctors examined the child and found extensive bruising.

There were large bruises to his head and forehead.

He had six bruises on each arm, ten bruises to his left leg and three bruises to his right leg.

There was also bleeding to his retina.

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The child has since been placed in a "secure safe environment" and is now doing well.

The mother was interviewed by police and tried to blame her partner for causing the injuries.

She later accepted neglecting the child over a four-month period.

The woman described leaving out a bleach bottle with a straw in it hoping her son would drink it.

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She admitted leaving a ladder next to an open window so he could climb out.

The defendant went on to admit that she had not fed her son properly, saying she resented being a mum and did not want the child in her life.

She said she "hated being a mother" and having to put him before anyone else.

Craig Sutcliffe, mitigating, said his client was ashamed of herself.

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Mr Sutcliffe said the woman has no previous convictions, had been diagnosed as having a borderline personality disorder and is on the autism spectrum.

The court heard it had taken a number of years for the case to come before the the criminal courts to ensure her mental issues were addressed.

She was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was made the subject of a six-month curfew order.

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Judge Penelope Belcher said she was imposing the non-custodial sentence as the public would be better protected in the future if the defendant could work with the probation service and receive support for her personality disorder.

She said: "This would not be available for a short custodial sentence and the work would not be done. That is why it is in the public interest."

Judge Belcher told the woman: "If you had another child social services would be all over this and you might find that the child would be removed."