Ireland Case No. 15821Child endangerment and neglect (death of child) · Co. Dublin · 13 Mar 2021
Father jailed for seven years over death of four-year-old son
A four-year-old boy was found at a house in the southwest of the country on 13 March 2021 and died three days later, on 16 March, in hospital in Dublin. His father pleaded guilty to endangerment, neglect, impeding the apprehension of a person, and wilfully causing or allowing the child to be assaulted between 6 and 12 March 2021. His former partner pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the DPP did not accept. On 11 October 2024, Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court sentenced the father to seven years, with the sentences running concurrently and backdated to March 2024. No trial date has yet been fixed for the former partner.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced11 Oct
2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- The four-year-old boy, son of the father, was subjected to a campaign of physical abuse, according to the judge.
- Where
- The child was found at a house in the southwest of the country.
- When
- The child was found at the house on 13 March 2021.
- The boy died on 16 March 2021 in hospital in Dublin, three days after he was found.
- Cause
- The post-mortem found the cause of death was traumatic head injury with blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
- Investigation
- The father gave an inaccurate account of events in five of the six garda interviews.
- Other details
- The father told that the boy's fatal injuries were caused by a fall from a bunk bed, which the judge said was a misreport.
- The judge described a callousness in how the father treated the child.
- Charges
- The father pleaded guilty to endangerment, neglect, impeding the apprehension of a person, and wilfully causing or allowing the child to be assaulted between 6 and 12 March 2021.
- The co-accused former partner pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the DPP did not accept this plea.
- In court
- The father was sentenced on 11 October 2024 at the Central Criminal Court by Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
- A trial date for the co-accused former partner has not yet been fixed.
- Sentence
- The father was sentenced to seven years for assisting an offender and seven years for endangerment of the child.
- The father was also sentenced to five years on each of two counts of child cruelty, with all sentences running concurrently and backdated to March 2024.
24 statements extracted from the articles
- whereThe child was found at a house in the southwest of the country. (rte.ie, thejournal.ie)
- whenThe child was found at a house on 13 March 2021. (rte.ie)
- whenThe boy died three days later in hospital in Dublin, on 16 March. (rte.ie)
- whenThe child was found on 13 March 2021. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe child died three days later in hospital in Dublin on 16 March 2021. (thejournal.ie)
- causeThe post-mortem found the cause of death was traumatic head injury with blunt force trauma to the abdomen. (rte.ie, thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe father gave an inaccurate account of events in five out of six interviews with detectives. (rte.ie)
- investigationThe father gave an inaccurate account of events in the first five of six garda interviews. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe father pleaded guilty to charges of endangerment, neglect and impeding the apprehension of a person. (rte.ie)
- chargeThe father pleaded guilty to wilfully causing or allowing the child to be assaulted between 6 and 12 March 2021. (rte.ie)
- chargeThe father pleaded guilty to charges of endangerment, neglect and impeding apprehension. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe sentence was passed at the Central Criminal Court by Mr Justice Paul McDermott. (rte.ie)
- courtThe father's co-accused, a former partner, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the DPP did not accept this plea. (rte.ie)
- courtA date has not yet been fixed for the co-accused woman's trial. (rte.ie)
- courtThe sentencing took place at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Paul McDermott. (thejournal.ie)
- courtA trial date for the woman has not yet been set. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe father was sentenced to seven years for assisting an offender and seven years for endangerment of the child. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe father was also jailed for five years on each of two counts of child cruelty. (rte.ie, thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to March 2024. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe father was sentenced to seven years in prison for assisting an offender and seven years for endangerment of the child. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe sentences run concurrently and were back-dated to March 2024. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe judge described a callousness in how the father treated the child. (rte.ie)
- otherThe judge said the father misreported the boy's fatal injuries. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe co-accused former partner pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which the DPP did not accept. (thejournal.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 11 Oct2024Man jailed in connection with death of son (4) who faced 'frightening' campaign of physical abuse
Sentencing of the father by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court, with the judge's remarks on the abuse and on the father's misreporting of the injuries. The co-accused former partner had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which the DPP did not accept, and her trial date is not yet fixed.
convicted, 35, malevictim, 4, maleaccused, female - 11 Oct2024Father jailed for 7 years over death of 4-year-old son
Sentencing report for the father at the Central Criminal Court; no matching existing case in the list.
convicted, 35, malevictim, 4, maleaccused, female