A mother has been jailed after shaking her 12-week old baby which led to injuries comparable with a road traffic collision or fall from height.

The baby boy, now three years old, has been left with life-long condition cerebral palsy as well as severe visual impairment.

The young mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, tried to hide the injuries the baby suffered which meant vital time was lost in treating its head and brain injuries.

During sentence on Wednesday at the Court of General Gaol Delivery, Deemster Graeme Cook described it as ‘one of the saddest cases I have come across’. The woman had previously admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Kath Johnson told the court the baby was born in August 2022. While there were concerns surrounding the parents initially, they seemed to have taken well to parenting and no issues were raised. The baby seemed happy and healthy.

Unfortunately, by November the parents had separated and the mum was struggling to looking after him, turning to cannabis to cope.

On the morning of December 9, 2022, the mother arrived at a Douglas pub with her child to meet up with her mother and the baby’s father. She had missed a doctor’s appointment for the baby that morning.

The baby’s father and grandmother both noticed the baby seemed grumpy, pale and was not crying properly.

At around 3.20pm that day it was decided to take the child to the doctor and when he was seen, the doctor noticed he was floppy, drifting in and out of consciousness and whimpering. He also had a golf ball-sized bump on his head.

The baby was immediately sent to Noble’s Hospital where the child had to be resuscitated. He was sent that evening to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where he was sedated for 72 hours and treated for several days.

An Isle of Man Constabulary expert concluded the injuries could only have been caused by a ‘non-accidental injury head trauma’ and that delays in treatment led to a poorer outcome.

Mrs Johnson told the court another expert said ‘the injuries were comparable to a road traffic collision, a fall from height or severe crush injuries’.

While the full impact of the injuries will not be known for some time, medical experts agreed they will be life-long and significant.

The mother was arrested and interviewed by police in which she reiterated her claim the baby fell off a mattress. She then later claimed the baby may have been jolted by potholes on the road.

She even suggested the father or other family members may have been to blame – something she knew was not true.

The child is now in the care of a foster parent who has described him as ‘a lovely, affectionate and brilliant little boy’.

A victim impact statement from the paternal grandmother said: ‘The emotional devastation we feel is difficult to put into words. Rather than a care-free future, he (the child) has ongoing medical needs and a physical condition that means a lifetime of changes.

‘We have experienced grief, anger and confusion. It has changed how we think, feel and move through the world.’

In mitigation, advocate Stephen Wood told the court his client has mental health issues from her own childhood trauma and was suffering post-natal depression at the time. He also said she had shown remorse.

Deemster Cook told the woman: ‘This is an unusual case and this offence is of the most serious gravity. You have destroyed this little boy’s life expectancy and nothing I can do can bring that back.’

He told the court he could only hand down a maximum sentence of five years but had to also take into account her mitigation and the early plea.

The mother was handed a 30-month prison sentence.

On being sent down, the tearful defendant said: ‘I am very sorry to the people I have hurt and the damage I have done to my son’s life.’

Afterwards, Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Maddocks who headed the investigation said: ‘This is one of the most difficult investigations I have been involved in. Not only is this the investigation complex in terms of securing the evidence but also because the child was healthy before he sustained the injuries caused by his mother, which is something very emotive.

‘I want to urge any parent that may be struggling with a new baby to seek help before matters go too far and irreparable damage is done.

‘Social Care and Manx Care both provide services that support parents and families and there is no shame in asking for help or recognising you may need it.’