Ramsey, 28, who was deemed by the judge to be less culpable in the boy's abuse, admitted assault on a child and neglect. He was jailed for three years and 10 months.
The court was told that a hospital paediatrician counted 63 injuries on the boy's body, including fractured ribs, retinal injuries in the eyes and damage to ligaments in his neck. He now needs a wheelchair when out and about.
Judge Geoff Rea turned down defence applications to extend the couple's name suppression that has applied as they progressed through the court process.
However, he suppressed the names of the children involved in the case, most of whom do not share the couple's surnames. He also suppressed the names and details which would identify caregivers and whanau who are now looking after them.
The abuse and neglect of the boy happened between November 2018 and January 2020, when he was 4, and the total of six charges, one of them representative, covered a number of incidents.
The Crown case against the couple said the boy suffered two head injuries while in their care, and both times was flown to Wellington for craniotomies.
In between these two head injuries, Oranga Tamariki placed the boy in the care of another person. By arrangement with Oranga Tamariki, the boy was returned to the couple for Christmas 2019, when he was 4 years old.
He suffered the second, more serious, head injury when he was still with the couple the following month. Judge Geoff Rea said it was now known that Wainohu caused that head injury, which occurred when Ramsey was at work.
Because of that head injury the boy's life will be "permanently altered in that he will suffer permanent disability", a Crown summary said.
A hospital paediatrician said it was almost certain that the boy would have died had it not been for the prompt actions of paramedics and Hawke's Bay Hospital staff.
Judge Rea referred to a report by Dr Bronwyn Rosie of Starship Hospital in Auckland, which said she counted 63 injuries on the boy's body.
Rosie's report said the boy was "profoundly and permanently affected" by his head injuries, with his mobility impaired on the left side. He now uses a wheelchair outside of the home environment.
His vision has been permanently affected, he has difficulties with memory and has to take anti-seizure medication. He is likely to have long-term learning and behavioural difficulties and require a high level of supervision.
He cannot perform normal tasks, including toileting himself.
"He will not ever be the person he could have been had he not been injured," the paediatrician's report said.
