Woman kept toddler aged 2 in cage... but walks free from court
A WOMAN who kept a toddler trapped in a makeshift cage has avoided a prison sentence.
Claire Boyle, 34, claimed she put the two-year-old in the dismantled cot for his own protection but was convicted of neglect.
The offence emerged after a fouryear-old boy escaped from Boyle’s flat and was discovered wandering the streets alone.
Boyle and her partner Timothy Johnstone, 57, were each sentenced to be supervised for 18 months, with Boyle ordered to complete 250 hours and Johnstone 180 hours of unpaid work.
Boyle and Johnstone, of Newmilns, Ayrshire, were found guilty of neglecting the older child, while Boyle alone was convicted of neglecting the two-year-old.
They had been looking after the children at the time of the offences in October 2018.
Sheriff Michael Higgins told the pair the case was ‘serious’ and jail was still an option if they failed to engage in rehabilitation. Their trial at Kilmarnock
Sheriff Court last month heard that the four-year-old had climbed out of a window and was later found by a member of the public.
The boy had so many bruises that medical staff initially thought he may have had a serious blood disorder.
Doctors alerted police, who arrived at the property to find the two-year-old was being kept in a bedroom inside a cot that had been turned into a makeshift cage.
The base section of the cot had been removed and tied to the top in order to prevent the toddler from getting out.
It was Boyle’s third conviction for child cruelty and neglect.
A significant case review has been launched, involving South Ayrshire Council and East Ayrshire Council and led by Professor Paul Martin, chairman of South Ayrshire’s child protection committee.
A committee spokesman said: ‘Since the review is under way, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.’
The child welfare charity NSPCC Scotland said in a statement: ‘Between them, Boyle and Johnstone failed the basic needs of two children in what is an alarming case of child neglect.
‘It is a stark reminder that children are entirely reliant on the adults around them for their care and support.’
The charity added: ‘NSPCC Scotland works to prevent the abuse and neglect of children.
‘Parents or carers who are struggling and anyone concerned about a child can contact our helpline for advice and support.’
The NSPCC Scotland helpline operates seven days a week on 0808 800 5000.