A court has heard that a mother hit her five-year-old son with a metal stick until he bled, and shut him in a cupboard for over 10 hours while the rest of his family went on a day trip to Blackpool, UK.
The 40-year-old mother, and another woman, in her late 20s, who were not named to protect the identities of the mother’s children, have pleaded not guilty to child cruelty offences at Bradford Crown Court. They were arrested in 2014 after doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary found injuries on the boy’s chin, back and arm.
The Telegraph and Argus reported that the boy’s six-year-old sister told the court that the younger woman had shut the boy in a cupboard, and that she had witnessed the mum beating her brother.
“She got him out of the cupboard and he was naked and she got tissue paper and wrapped it round the stick. It was metal and silver and small.
“She put the tissue where she put her hand. First she hit him on the leg and then she hit him on the arm, and then she hit him on his face. He started bleeding from his chin,” the girl said.
The court also heard that the boy was allegedly shut in a cupboard at 11am, and stayed in there until 9.30pm while the family visited Blackpool for the day. He was left naked, with water, sweets, chocolate and oranges.
The girl and another sister also told police that the boy had been beaten over the head with a stiletto shoe. The women allegedly bought Superglue to put on the wound.
The abuse was said to have happened for more than 21 months since August 2012.
The trial continues.
Source: Essentialkids.com.au
