Five-month-old had ‘skull fracture and bone injuries’

A mother appeared in court yesterday on assault and neglect charges concerning her then five-month-old daughter allegedly sustaining a skull fracture and other bone injuries.

At Killaloe District Court, the Clare woman, aged 21, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with assault causing harm of her baby daughter on two dates last year.

The woman is also charged with wilfully neglecting the child on dates between August 23, 2014, and February 13, 2015.

The baby’s father, aged 23, also appeared in court yesterday charged in connection with the wilful neglect of the baby girl between August 23, 2014, and February 13, 2015.

A joint book of evidence was yesterday served on the two and Judge Patrick Durcan sent them forward for trial to the current sittings of Ennis Circuit Court.

It will be alleged in the circuit court case that the child was admitted to University Hospital Limerick on February 13, 2015, for treatment of a fractured left arm and bruising to the face.

It will be alleged that medics carried out a full skeletal survey of the baby that detected older injuries — a healing fracture of the left tibia, a healing fracture of the right femur, and an older right-sided skull fracture.

Tara Godfrey, solicitor for the woman, asked that, in preparation for the circuit court case, a psychological report be carried out.

Judge Durcan extended the legal aid cert to cover the carrying out of the psychological report.

The pair were yesterday remanded on continuing bail and are due to appear before Ennis Circuit Court, which runs for another two and a half weeks.

However, due to the current backlog in cases, it is likely that the two cases will not be heard until later this year at the circuit court.