Young Mother Watched On As Violent Boyfriend Battered Her Infant Son

A 23-year-old mother in England, who watched on as her violent boyfriend inflicted serious injuries on her 11-month-old son, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Chantelle Welsh remained silent about the appalling incident for several hours before taking her baby boy to the Alder Hey hospital on the afternoon of Feb. 20 last year.

The infant had to undergo emergency surgery to reduce "a large boggy swelling" on his head.

The boy had suffered multiple eye socket fractures, complex skull fractures, as well as a broken right arm and left leg, the Liverpool Echo reported.

The hospital management notified the police and social services about the injured infant. According to the report, Welsh was then questioned during which she repeatedly lied about how her son had been injured.

Her statements led the police to suspect her two brothers who were then detained for several days and the baby, along with her other son, was taken off her.

"There was no reasonable explanation as to how he had suffered these extensive injuries," Prosecutor John Williams said.

"Neither she nor her partner were able to provide any explanation for the injuries. The nature and location of the injuries were such that clinicians rapidly concluded they were non-accidental and were indicative of significant abuse."

Welsh, who is now pregnant by another man, was not in a relationship with the father of either of her sons and had only recently formed a relationship with the accused boyfriend, the court heard.

She initially denied that her partner or brothers were involved in causing the injuries. However, during further grilling, Welsh said that her brothers were innocent but she had lied about her boyfriend and admitted that he had inflicted the injuries.

Martine Snowdon, defending, said, "Her criminality flows from what happened after the infliction of these injuries. Her culpability is failing to act appropriately since she witnessed it."

"She took him to hospital after a delay of about three hours and there is no evidence of any exacerbation of his physical condition as a result of the delay."

Snowdon said that Welsh knew her partner "had some involvement in crime and believed it to be drugs. He recently had a domestic violence conviction but she says she had no awareness of that.”

Welsh had pleaded guilty to child neglect involving failing to get medical help for the victim.

The infant was discharged from the hospital after ten days and has fortunately physically recovered but the authorities raised concerns that he may suffer psychologically in the long term.

Jailing Welsh for 18 months Judge Garrett Byrne said, "A doctor refers to the injuries as would be seen in a serious car crash."

"It is impossible to determine the long-term psychological effect this trauma will have on this child, all one can say is there is the potential for long-term psychological harm."

She is unlikely to ever get her sons back and social services are involved in her life, the outlet reported.

"She made a terrible mistake and she is deeply remorseful. She is deeply regretful of what she did," Snowdon said.

"She has spent approaching two years coming to terms that she is not getting these children back, probably for ever, and certainly for the foreseeable future."