Couple Sentenced For Refusing To Admit Who Mishandled 3-Month-Old Child Found With Life-Threatening Injuries

A couple from England ended up getting arrested for not revealing what happened to their three-month-old child.

The baby was brought to a hospital with serious injuries with the couple the only ones caring for the child.

They were identified as Ryan Briody and Rebecca Stott. Neither of them revealed what happened to the child who was found to have suffered fractured ribs, some of which were at least 10 days old.

Aside from that, the infant had life-threatening bleeding in the brain. Both refused to divulge what happened although accepted that one of them may have lost their composure.

Both ended up getting a 27-month sentence after getting convicted of causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm by the Minshull Street crown court.

An investigation on the case was done in August 2018. This followed after the child was brought by Stott to A&E at the Royal Oldham Hospital fighting for life before being moved to to the resuscitation unit.

"Scans showed that he suffered a subdural haemorrhage. He needed three ventricular taps. Two taps were needed on 30 Aug and a further tap was inserted the following day, which was needed for seven days after,” according to prosecutor Harriet Lavin.

Per experts, the child suffered these injuries as a result of a shaking mechanism on at least two occasions, once shortly before his admission to hospital and the other at least two weeks earlier. Considering only Briody and Stott were the only ones who cared for the child, the one responsible behind it can only be one of them.

The boy is now three years old and is in the care of relatives.

Briody and Stott were officially arrested on Aug. 31, 2018, but denied any wrongdoing during the interviews. Both pleaded for the court to let them walk but were denied. The couple had no prior convictions.

"This was a particularly young child who was extremely vulnerable," Judge Maurice Green said. "These are offences of a very serious nature, the infliction of injuries on at least two occasions on a defenseless child."