Court bust-up of mum whose dog killed baby
A MOTHER whose dog mauled her six-month-old baby to death was embroiled in a fracas outside court yesterday which ended with her being rushed to hospital.
In dramatic scenes on the steps of the building, pregnant Claire Riley, 23, was pushed up against a wall and collapsed to the ground.
An ambulance was called a short time later and Riley was taken to hospital with “extremely personal” injuries.
Riley, 23, had arrived at Northampton Crown Court to be sentenced along with her mother Susan Aucott, 55, over the death of her daughter Molly-Mae Wotherspoon in October 2014.
The two then became involved in a squabble with photographers as they entered the building.
Video footage showed Riley putting her hand over one photographer’s camera lens and pushing him away as she walked into court.
Family members then appeared to try to shelter the pair under umbrellas and one man could be heard shouting, “He’s assaulted my daughter”.
Speaking in court later, Steven Hadley, defending Riley, said: “An ambulance has been called and she has been taken to hospital.
“This morning, as far as I’m aware, there was some sort of altercation with the press and Miss Riley was Claire Riley was due to be sentenced over the death of daughter Molly-Mae, who was savaged by her pit bull terrier pushed against a wall. As a result, she felt unwell and I went outside and she was doubled up on the floor.
“She is at hospital and she is being treated. The nature of what she is being treated for is extremely personal.”
Riley had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to owning a dangerously out of control dog that caused the death of a child.
Her mother admitted being the person in charge of the dog at the time.
Mrs Justice Sue Carr adjourned the sentencing yesterday to September 15 to allow Riley to recover.
Molly-Mae died from severe blood loss caused by head wounds after she was savaged by the family’s American pit bull Bruiser.
After her death, Riley split from the baby’s father, Derri Wotherspoon.
It was not stated in court who her new baby-to-be’s father is.