Suspended sentence for biting a defenceless child

Dangerous Man

Morlar wrote: »

Same hero judge in both cases.

Same sentence in both cases.

Run_to_da_hills

sensibleken wrote: »

I was in court on thursday (as a witness) and every defence i heard was exactly this. every one was drugs or drink connected, every one had multiple previous and every one got a suspended sentence.

There's a reason for this, I.E. there is not enough room for them in the prisons.

hatrickpatrick

Why are we so f*cking lenient, in general, on parents who abuse or harm their children?
The amount of "diminished responsiblity" allowance in these cases is sickening. "I couldn't cope" "I was depressed" "My partner had left me and I was strained" "things were difficult at home" "I have drugs issues".

NONE OF THE ABOVE JUSTIFY OR EXCUSE VIOLENCE. GROW THE F*CK UP.

dj jarvis

sorry but im old school on these matters
you use act's of violence against children , women or old people
if you dont get a long hard sentence - if the victims are friends or family of mine and you get a suspended sentence you had better say your goodbyes
because i will make you wish you got life - and i would not bat an eyelid or break a sweat

if the courts do not take a uber hard line on the above offenders to make an example of them then they are going to keep doing it
the solution is make the ****ers so afraid of their own shadow they will never contemplate violence against the vulnerable

i know in todays PC loving world this may be an offensive opinion but **** that,we a as a society have to stand up and be counted

the vulnerable need protecting from scum

PARKHEAD67

charlemont wrote: »

This is bloody scandalous, What kind of message does this send out ?
One thing I really hate and get upset about is child cruelty, Its not on. Not on at all..


Saturday July 16 2011

A MAN who bit his 24-week-old baby on the face and shook it until it became "lifeless" has escaped a jail term at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The 21-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to cruelty to a child on a date in August 2008.

Judge Martin Nolan said it was an "irrational reaction" and it was "fortunate the child made a full recovery" before handing down a four-year suspended sentence.

The judge said the man was "left in charge of the child" and "he could not cope".

"At the time he was unsuitable for fatherhood," he said.

The judge said he took into account that since the incident he had been a responsible father who "helps mind the child".

Detective Garda Alan Barry told Tara Burns, prosecuting, the man had been in a relationship with the mother of the child and he was minding him for her while she was at work.

He had stayed over with the woman the previous night and the baby was left in the bed with the man, the court heard.

The mother rang the man to ask if he wanted anything on her way home and could hear the baby crying.

When the woman got to the house half an hour later she could see the man crying and the baby "lying lifeless on the couch beside him".

limp

The baby was limp, pale and his eyes were rolling back in his head so the woman called an ambulance, the court heard.

Neighbours had arrived into the house at the time and were instructed by emergency services how to resuscitate the baby.

The fire brigade arrived, resuscitated the baby and took him to Temple Street Hospital.

The firemen noticed marks on the child, which had not been on him the night before when his mother bathed him.

The infant had marks on his face and doctors surmised he had a bite mark on his cheek.

The marks to the body were unexplained and "the limpness was put down to the baby being choked". The accused said he was "trying to wind the baby" but later admitted to have bitten the child on the left cheek because he "lost it".

He said the child got more upset and he "shook the baby" and when asked about bruising to the baby's ears he said he had slapped him on the face in an effort to make him responsive.

Ms Burns told judge Nolan the child is doing very well now.

Giollaiosa O Lideadha, defending, said his client "just lost it" and "couldn't cope".

"He's matured very significantly since," he said.

hnews@herald.ie

Holy Christ, what kind of mentally challenged judges does this country have?This is beyond belief.

Ray Palmer

If a woman did this (and they do similar) people would have a different opinion.

Just because you are one sex or the other does not instantly make you mentally or physically strong.

It sounds like the guy had a mental break of some kind not the same as intentionally torturing the kid for pleasure. The actions may be the same but intent goes a long way.

PARKHEAD67

Ray Palmer wrote: »

If a woman did this (and they do similar) people would have a different opinion.

Just because you are one sex or the other does not instantly make you mentally or physically strong.

It sounds like the guy had a mental break of some kind not the same as intentionally torturing the kid for pleasure. The actions may be the same but intent goes a long way.

What?? Are you for real or are you this scumbags defendant? Theres someting lawyery about your bull**** here.

Happyzebra

Okay so the guy lost it for a moment... We've all been there ( thankfully not with a similar outcome!) but after the event he didn't call for medical help for the baby .. He can't argue that he didn't have the presence of mind to do so because he apparently slapped the baby in an effort to resusitate him. He should be jailed for that alone. Overcrowding issue i'd say... Ireland can't afford to house it's criminal class.

Just to clarify ... I do not condone abuse of children under any circumstances... Have to say that.. You know, with the many hysterical people on boards!!

Overheal

And because they can't jail them, theres no disincentive to keep doing what you're doing. Rack up a few dozen convictions, nobody will look at you funny. Because they have nowhere to put you. Because you're scamming the system out of money, so they can't afford more space in Jail. Oh the irony.

7sr2z3fely84g5

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Typical Irish defence lawyer:

'Ah Jaysus your honour - he's sorry! He was only messin'. He's turned his life around 180 degrees your honour. He's on a FAS course now. Making cabinets your honour. He didn't mean to bite the child on the face your honour - it was a doss. I know he nearly killed him but sure c'mon - we've all done stupid things. I'd let you off if it was you your honour. Don't be a bollix.'

I really worry about this generation-
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/teen-mugged-moped-woman-2831374.html

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy has admitted robbing a woman of her handbag while armed with a broken glass bottle.
The teenager, who has 26 prior convictions, pleaded guilty at the Children's Court to the robbery, at James Joyce Street, Dublin, on December 19 last.
The court heard that he approached the woman when she got off a moped and was later arrested at Bolton Street.
The teenager also admitted taking part in a shop raid with a group of masked youths, at the Old County Road, in north Dublin, on December 3 last.
Judge Ann Ryan adjourned sentencing until a date in September for a probation report to be obtained.

Wtf is wrong with youth today?..

tan11ie

I remember reading that story before and it still brings tears to my eyes to think any human could inflict such cruelty upon a helpless baby.

The justice system stinks in this country, it really infuriates me.

RichieC

why is man capitalised in the OP?

The_Minister

mickydoomsux wrote: »

Another example of Irish courts treating the accused as the victim.

We need to stop infantilising people like this guy and start treating scum like scum. Build more prisons, have harsher sentences or even any sentences at all would be nice.

Rehabilitation is a myth. Incredibly harsh punishment is what is needed. Look at all these kind of cases and pretty much any murder/manslaughter case, all the guys have 20+ priors. Our justice system is an utter farce.

Except that all evidence we have shows that systems that focus on rehabilitation (like Norway) do work, whereas the countries with the harshest punishments are the ones with the most violent crime - there is little evidence to show that harsh sentencing reduces crime - if anything we see the opposite.

ItsAWindUp

What the hell is wrong with somebody to want to do this?