Mother’s trial over child cruelty collapses in Galway

The trial of a 39-year-old mother, who faces charges of cruelty and neglect towards eight of her children over a six-year period, collapsed yesterday due to technical difficulties at Galway courthouse.

It was discovered late on Wednesday evening that a live video link facility, which was used to allow a child to give evidence from another room in the courthouse that afternoon, was not recording her evidence to the trial.

Judge Karen O’Connor explained to the jury yesterday morning that by law evidence heard by video-link “shall” be recorded, but unfortunately, in this case, she said, this did not occur in relation to the girl’s evidence on Wednesday afternoon.

Judge O’Connor said she had no alternative but discharged the jury “with regret”.

She told jurors a new trial will commence with a new jury in due course.

Judge O’Connor then listed the case for trial on January 12.

The woman, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the children, who are aged between 5 and 18, pleaded not guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday to 44 charges of child cruelty on dates between September 1, 2006, and May 12, 2011, contrary to section 246 (1) and (2) of the Children Act 2001.