2009: MOTHER WHO KICKED TODDLER DOWN STAIRS JAILED
A young mother, found to be heavily intoxicated, was sentenced to a year in prison after intentionally kicking her toddler son down a flight of concrete stairs.Surveillance video showed Edwards, aged 24 from Russell Close in Malvern, forcefully placing her two-and-a-half-year-old at the top of stairs and kicking him repeatedly, which caused him to fall multiple times.
The court heard the child's screams as the incident unfolded, echoing throughout Worcester Crown Court.
Edwards pleaded guilty to wilful assault of a child under 16 but was so intoxicated she could not remember what happened.
Judge John Cavell described the injuries as including cuts, bruises, and bleeding, and mentioned that the boy is now with his grandmother with social services' help.
Prosecutor Peter Parson explained that Edwards had been drinking several cans of alcohol during a visit with friends on September 28, and the assault took place outdoors on a balcony with eight to ten steps down to the ground.
After the incident, Edwards ran away while distressed.
Ambulance personnel suspected she was too intoxicated to properly care for the child, leading to police involvement.
CCTV footage made it clear she had deliberately kicked her son down the stairs, although she was unable to provide an explanation.
Her defense claimed her actions were due to a brief loss of control, not child abuse, and that she was genuinely remorseful.
She had lost her employment at a care home for the elderly but hoped to get her job back, as assessments indicated she posed a low risk of re-offending.
