The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Woman deliberately burned boy with iron
COURT: Claim child had accidental brush with hot cooker rejected by jury
A woman who deliberately burned a child with an iron has been found guilty after a jury failed to believe her version of events.
Coral Chalmers claimed the little boy’s leg had accidentally brushed against a hot cooker but the symmetry of the injury’s triangular shape caught her out.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard evidence from paediatric expert Dr Jenny Fraser, who said: “Overall this injury to the thigh is consistent with an inflicted burn with a household iron.”
Yesterday Chalmers, 22, wept as jurors found her guilty of harming the child in November 2019.
She had claimed that the child had made no sound when he was burned and sat on a couch watching cartoons afterwards.
She also said that the injury did not become visible until the following day. But again, her version was disputed, with doctors saying the boy’s skin would have been marked with a burn immediately.
Sentence on Chalmers, of Ballindean Road in Dundee, was deferred for reports.
ADundee woman has been convicted of burning a young child’s leg with a hot iron. Coral Chalmers wept as a jury found her guilty by a majority verdict of harming the child between November 28 and 30 2019.
The 22-year-old was convicted of causing the boy to suffer injury at an address in Dundee by burning his leg with an iron.
She had faced a charge that “severe” injury was caused but was convicted of the lesser charge yesterday.
Chalmers, of Ballindean Road, claimed the child had burned himself on a cooker as she juggled holding him with reaching for a cupboard.
She claimed the child did not make a noise and no mark was visible until the next day.
Doctors, however, were suspicious about Chalmers’ version of events, with paediatric experts ruling the child’s injury was “nonaccidental” and would have left an immediate mark.
Reports have now been ordered on Chalmers, who has previous convictions, ahead of sentencing next month. Her bail order was allowed to continue.
Solicitor Douglas Thomson, for Chalmers, told Dundee Sheriff Court: “While the accused has offended, there is nothing analogous.
“Clearly the jury’s verdict is not in accordance with what my client said.”
Jurors heard how Chalmers claimed she did not notice the triangularshaped wound on the child’s thigh until the next morning.
She told doctors that the boy was suffering from a cold but he showed no symptoms after being referred to Ninewells Hospital.
During her evidence, Chalmers said she felt “horrible” about his injury but denied using the iron at any point or deliberately injuring the child.
She told the court the child quickly held on to her after burning himself on the cooker but later sat on the couch watching cartoons.
Paediatric expert Dr Jenny Fraser concluded the shape of the injury would most likely have been caused by the iron that was found at the scene.
She said: “Contact would only need to be less than a second for a burn to occur.
“If it was an accidental burn it would not be symmetrical.
“Overall this injury to the thigh is consistent with an inflicted burn with a household iron.”
Prosecutor Stewart Duncan asked Chalmers why she did not see any mark on the child when doctors concluded the injury would result in immediate marking.
She replied: “There was no mark when I checked them over. It’s true. I know what happened.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence on Chalmers until next month for social work reports to be obtained.