Wakefield mum failed to seek medical help for toddler badly scalded by pan of boiling water
A mum has been jailed after she failed to seek medical help for her badly-burnt toddler, then tried to conceal his injuries from social services.
The woman claimed the two-year-old had reached up and grabbed the handle of a pan of water, tipping it onto himself.
She has already had three children removed from her care and there were concerns about abuse towards her youngest long before the pan accident.
She even tried to make the two-year-old wear a hat when a concerned social worker visited her home, Leeds Crown Court heard.
The 27-year-old from Wakefield, who cannot be named to protect the child’s identity, has now had the injured youngster also removed from her care and he has since been adopted.
Held in custody at HMP New Hall, the mum appeared in court via video link where she admitted a charge of child cruelty.
Social services had received reports about domestic abuse towards the child previously.
There had been an “unexplained” injury to him in October 2022, and reports found that living conditions at their home were “unacceptable”. There were also growing concerns about her drug and alcohol use.
She had refused to allow social workers into her home, and proceedings were started to remove him from her care.
In April last year a social worker turned up at her home unannounced and the mum was reluctant to allow them entry.
When she did, she noticed the boy wearing the hat, but was immediately suspicious. Despite protests from the mum, the worker did remove it and revealed a large “angry” burn mark.
She claimed it was an accident and that she had applied cream on the advice of her own mother. However, her mother later denied this, and the cream she showed the social worker still had the foil in place and had not been used.
The boy was taken to hospital by the social worker. The mother attended also and became angry while at the hospital, spitting at the worker.
Doctors concluded the boy should have been taken to hospital from the outset. He has since made a full recovery, has now been adopted and is “doing well”, the court heard.
The mum had only been remanded recently having failed to turn up for a court appearance.
Mitigating, Paul Addison said: “It’s important to note this was an accident, not intentional.
“What she should have done is seek medical assistance. She did not because she was too scared to do so because she thought the authorities would draw the wrong conclusions about how the burns occurred.
“She now accepts she was at fault. She said she was on the telephone and should have been watchful.”
Judge Kate Rayfield said: “The prosecution can’t say with certainty how the injury was sustained.
“There’s no evidence that it was caused deliberately. Despite the severity of the injury you failed to present him for proper medical attention. Not only that but you deliberately tried to hide it from the social worker.
“You chose to protect yourself, over protecting your two-year-old child.”
Jailing her for 16 months she said: “Other parents in the public must know that if they fail to protect their children from serious harm, fail to seek appropriate medical help and then deliberately conceal the injury from professionals, they will go immediately to custody.
“It’s in the public interest that deterrent sentences are imposed.”