Cheshire Woman Sentence for Baby in Drawer Not Unduly Lenient

We can’t name a woman. This is due to restrictions protecting her kids. The events took place somewhere in Cheshire. She hid her baby from everyone. She used a drawer in a bed, where her partner often stayed, but didn’t know.

The child was found before age three malnourished and deformed. Her nails were long, and she had rashes. Her hair matted, and she could not move. She couldn’t crawl, talk, walk, or hold toys.

The woman got seven and a half years in jail for child cruelty. A judge called it catastrophic for the child. Lawyers felt this sentence was too light and asked for a longer sentence.

However, three judges disagreed and rejected the request. They also rejected her appeal since her lawyers wanted her sentence reduced. The judges felt it wasn’t too long.

One judge said the neglect was extreme and that he’d never seen such a case. He felt the sentence was fair, a just and proportionate sentence. The woman watched from prison via video.

The woman claimed she didn’t know she was pregnant. She also told no one about the birth. Still, extreme neglect occurred over time. A lawyer listed 28 cruel acts in court.

The child learned not to cry because no one came when she cried. She faced extreme health and developmental neglect that started from the moment she was born. The lawyer called the case shocking, saying such a case is hard to imagine.

The child was found in a dirty nappy and was fed Weetabix with milk through a syringe. The woman left her alone often. One time, she left her overnight at Christmas.

Her partner found the child who wasn’t usually allowed upstairs alone. He heard a noise in a bedroom and saw the child was there. He told the woman’s family, and social services found the child later in the drawer.

The child’s neglect was very severe. Social workers thought she was only months old, however she actually was almost three years old. She entered the hospital malnourished and weak.

She told social workers she had an abusive relationship, and the child’s father wasn’t supposed to know. She told the police the child was not part of her family, and the child didn’t know her own name.

Her other kids were cared for well, but those children were removed from her care. Her lawyer said the case was serious and talked about her mental health, which could explain what she did.

Prosecutors said the child is improving and has had operations in the hospital.