She faced two representative charges of assaulting a child and ill-treatment of a child, which she pleaded guilty to in August last year and was remanded on electronically monitored bail.
The woman’s partner, who is not the biological father of the child, was jailed for two years in October last year for not seeking medical help for the toddler. However, he was released immediately as he had already served 480 days in custody.
The court heard that the woman had several young children in her care at the time and was the only adult residing at the home.
The assault charges related to two of her children who have “high needs”. The court heard the woman would chase them into their room and smack and punch them until they cried when they misbehaved.
The neglect charges related to the woman not seeking medical help for her toddler after he suffered three full-thickness burns on his finger, scalp and face area, consistent with cigarette burns.
The toddler also suffered burns to the cheeks, upper lip, eyelids, eyes, neck and chest caused by an unknown hot liquid as well as 14 fractures which could be caused by twisting or squeezing, the summary of facts said.
The woman was aware of the injuries as she had texted friends saying she needed supplies from the pharmacy or that she was going to take the toddler to the doctor.
Texts sent by the woman on May 4, 2021, stated it was going to be a “rough night” for the toddler and he was up crying every 10 minutes.
But instead of seeking medical attention for the toddler the next day, the woman instead took his siblings to McDonald’s for breakfast.
Later that day she took the boy to a clinic with a bruised and swollen leg, wounds on his finger, an abrasion or burn to his face and small scratches on his head. He was also unable to open his eyes due to the burns on his face.
The summary of facts revealed no medical attention had been sought or at least 18 hours after the serious burns were sustained, which the woman said appeared spontaneously.
She added that the boy had woken with a rash, fallen off a coffee table and had hand, foot and mouth disease.
It was the paediatrician’s view that the 14 fractures were a result of inflicted injuries that would have caused the toddler “considerable pain” and would continue to have long-term effects.
He was transported to Christchurch Hospital due to the severity of his injuries and medical reports stated that the injuries appeared to be “inflicted”.
The woman’s lawyer David Goldwater said that his client showed remorse and was “trying to make amends” for her behaviour.
He also said her addiction to methamphetamine should be taken into consideration when imposing a sentence.
However, Crown Prosecutor William Taffs said that the woman showed “no remorse whatsoever” as she was still hiding who had caused some of the injuries to the toddler.
“If there had been genuine remorse police right now would know exactly who caused 14 fractures to a toddler,” he said.
Taffs said the child was likely to suffer ongoing effects that will impact him for the rest of his life and the woman was playing a game of “charades” with hospital staff as she gave “flimsy excuses” to cover up the injuries.
“She knows who it was, there is no plausible way that she doesn’t.”
Taffs also said the woman’s sister has now had to take on the responsibility of caring for the toddler, something she has done a great job with.
The court heard that the woman had a difficult upbringing where family violence and methamphetamine use was normalised and was removed from her family home when she was a child. She also has a previous assault conviction.
Judge Callaghan gave the woman discounts for her drug addiction, guilty plea, and time spent on electronically monitored bail.
He sentenced her to two years and four months imprisonment.
