Nantyglo parents sentenced over baby son’s catastrophic brain injury

Two parents from Blaenau Gwent were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday after their eight-week-old son suffered a catastrophic brain injury that left him blind and unable to walk or talk. The child cannot be named for legal reasons.

A fractured arm, a fractured skull and a 999 call that was never made

According to WalesOnline, the baby suffered a fractured skull at the family home in Nantyglo, Blaenau Gwent, on 16 June 2023. The court heard it was caused by either Adam Edwards or Brogan Jones. Weeks earlier, a separate injury had already been found.

1. 30 May 2023: The couple took the baby to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran because his right arm had gone floppy. An X-ray did not pick up the problem, but a fractured right humerus was later found. Edwards is believed to have twisted or bent the arm with considerable force.
2. 16 June 2023: Shortly after Jones returned to the house at 9.10am, the baby suffered at least two forcible blows to the head, fracturing his skull in two places.

A neighbour who came to the house told Jones to call 999. Jones said at trial that she had called 111 by accident, which Judge Daniel Williams called a lie. He told the pair: “Neither of you phoned 999, you were too busy tearing strips into each other.” He also said that despite the best efforts of those treating the baby, “his life was saved but the life he could have had could not be”.

A lifetime of medical needs

The brain injury has left the boy blind, with severely impaired voluntary movement. He will not be able to sit, stand or walk, has seizures and painful life-long muscle spasms, and is fed through a tube in his stomach. He also faces a curved spine, which will bring pain and call for major surgery, and his ability to communicate is severely limited.

Prosecutor David Elias KC told the court the injuries would shorten his life, with children in his condition unlikely to survive beyond their second or third decade.

In a victim personal statement, his foster mother described a child who needs round-the-clock attention. He has many hospital admissions because of chest infections and seizures, and cannot be left with anyone untrained in his care. His care will need larger equipment, so the family will have to move house. She said: “He will never be able to walk or play football or other sports like other children his age.”

She added: “He’s never been able to see the sea. He knows our voices but will never know what his family looks like.”

Trial, defences and the judge’s reasoning

Both parents were convicted after a trial of causing or allowing a child to be subjected to serious physical harm, and of child neglect. Edwards was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm, a charge of which Jones was cleared. Both were arrested and lied in police interviews. Jones gave evidence over four days, while Edwards refused to give evidence.

The court heard that cocaine and alcohol played a part in their lives and made matters worse. Jones’s barrister, Leah Pollard, said her client was a victim of domestic abuse by Edwards and did not cause the injuries. Edwards’s counsel, Alex Greenwood, said he served five years in the military and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Judge Williams accepted that Edwards had assaulted Jones throughout their relationship. He said it was not for the court to decide which parent caused the injuries, because the prosecution cannot prove it. He told Jones: “You Brogan Jones knew some was seriously wrong with [the child] and you knew Adam Edwards had badly hurt him. Why else cancel the midwife visit that day, claiming falsely you had a stomach bug?”

Detective Chief Inspector Steven Maloney, the senior investigating officer at Gwent Police, described a “complex and lengthy case” in which a very young baby suffered life-changing injuries “at the hands of those supposed to provide him with protection and care”, as the Daily Post reported.

The two sentences

As sentence was delivered, Jones wept and shook uncontrollably while Edwards wiped his eyes.

Featured image. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Cardiff_,_Cardiff_Crown_Court_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3916499.jpg. Credit: Lewis Clarke. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.