WOMAN WHO SHOOK BABY AVOIDS PRISON
Judge shows ‘mercy’ to attacker who bemoaned missing haircut as young victim fought for life
A WOMAN who left a baby brain damaged then moaned about missing a haircut appointment has been spared jail.
Shannon Soutter walked free after a judge said it “neither appropriate or necessary” to lock her up.
The 23-year-old attacked the girl over two months at a house in Arbroath.
The child had brain injuries in April 2018, as well as fractures to her skull, ribs and ankle. She may also have permanent blindness with medics describing her prognosis as “poor”.
Soutter was sentenced yesterday, having earlier pled guilty to assaulting the girl to her severe injury, permanent impairment and to the danger of her life.
Lord Turnbull said Soutter had been struggling with depression and other personal issues. He added: “She punishes herself daily and will continue to do so.
“The circumstances are so unusual that a degree of understanding, and some mercy, leads to the conclusion it is neither appropriate or necessary to impose a custodial sentence.”
Soutter sobbed as she was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work as part of a three-year community payback order. She must have no unsupervised contact with children and must undergo treatment for her mental health issues.
The child was six months old when the assaults began.
The charge spanned between February and April 2018. During that time, Soutter, of Blairgowrie, Perthshire, once claimed the baby “hates me”. Later she told a friend the child was “doing her head in”.
On April 28 last year, Soutter phoned the girl’s dad, asking him to call 999. She said the child was not breathing properly.
When the man arrived, he found his daughter was “silent, limp and lifeless”. Soutter said she had gone for a bath after putting the child in her cot. She then heard the baby “gasping” and went to find her “unresponsive”.
The sick child was treated at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The girl’s dad went with his daughter in the ambulance, while Soutter went with a woman in a car.
Prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC told the High Court in Glasgow: “She then discussed she had a hairdressing appointment on the Monday [two days later]. She was annoyed that she might miss the appointment.”
Medics found the child was very ill, with rib fractures of “differing ages”.
A probe was launched by police and social workers.
Soutter initially claimed she had been “rocking” the child and that she “may” have bumped her head off a table.
The court was told some of the injuries had resulted from shaking the child.
The rib fractures had been caused by gripping the child.
Edwards said the brain injury was described as “devastating” by medics.
The baby’s dad – praised by the judge for the care of his daughter – was in court to see Soutter sentenced.
She punishes herself daily and will continue to do so LORD TURNBULL ON SHANNON SOUTTER