Woman confesses to abducting baby

A 36-year-old woman confessed today to the charge of abducting a baby at the Erinville Hospital in Cork last September.

She has been receiving psychiatric treatment at Limerick Prison since she committed the crime and it emerged yesterday that the date of the offence coincided with the birthday of twins that she previously had herself.

And the abducted baby was one of twins.

Marie Crean (aged 36) who had been living at rented flats and bedsits around Cork for the past few years, lived most recently at Englinton Place, Western Road, Cork.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court today, Crean pleaded guilty to the charge of intentionally taking a child, removing him from the control of his mother contrary to Section 17 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed asked for sentencing to be adjourned until June 20 so that a probation report and a psychiatric report could be prepared on her.

He said she previously had a chronic drink problem and she has been seeing a psychiatrist in Limerick Prison for the past nine months.

“She wants to get her life back on the rails,” Mr Creed said.

Prosecution barrister, Marjorie Farrelly, said, “The parents of the child have a sympathetic view to the defendant but they are concerned that the name of their child or their own names would not be published.”

Judge Patrick J. Moran remanded Crean in continuing custody until June 20 when she will be sentenced.