News NI
A very young child who was left blind and brain damaged following a serious assault “has been deemed life limited”, Newry Crown Court has heard.
Christopher Fulton, 35, of Maghaberry prison and Amanda Fulton, 36, of Rockfield Gardens in Mosside near Ballymoney were convicted over the assault, following a five week trial last October.
A jury found Christopher Fulton guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and two charges of child cruelty by wilfully neglecting the young victim.
Amanda Fulton was unanimously convicted of causing or allowing the child to suffer significant physical harm and a further charge of child cruelty in relation to wilful neglect.
On Friday a judge at Newry Crown Court said the pair they would be sentenced on the 4 April.
A foster parent of the young boy read a victim impact statement to the court during the pre-sentence hearing.
She said the boy, who cannot be named, had been left “profoundly disabled as a result of his injuries” and has a “severe learning difficulty”.
The court heard the child has a “level of cognitive understanding which has been significantly diminished” and has been “robbed of his ability to speak”.
The foster parent said the boy requires the use of a wheelchair and has to be fed thorough a feeding tube into his stomach.
“You only need to look at him to know he is severely disabled.”
She said he has a “diminished need for social interaction” and “no longer explores the world around him as he no longer knows how to”.
‘He has been deemed life limited’
She added the boy requires medicine twice a day to ease his pain.
“He has been deemed life limited.
“At best all we can do for him is make his life comfortable and as happy as he can be.”
During the trial, the jury heard how the child was unresponsive on 7 November 2019.
A GP who saw the boy later that day said it was obvious to him that “he was a very sick child”.
He was later taken to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children where the extent of his injuries became clear.
These included a fractured skull with associated bleeding to the brain and retinal bleeding; 27 rib fractures; fractures to both thigh bones; fractures to both shin bones; fractured wrist and a lacerated liver.
A defence barrister representing Amanda Fulton argued that the court could come to the conclusion that “at no stage did she ever physically abuse” the child.
‘Didn’t understand severity’
He said she was assessed as presenting a low likelihood of reoffending.
A defence lawyer representing Christopher Fulton argued his client “didn’t understand the severity of what he had done”.
He also argued “there was a lack of appreciation of the gravity of the injuries”.
The Judge Peter Irvine KC said he could not “think of any case where the harm was more significant to the young child than this case”.
He remanded the pair into custody to be sentenced at Newry Crown Court next month.
