A mother was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for concealing her baby daughter in a drawer for nearly three years.
The child, hidden away from daylight, fresh air, and human interaction, was discovered just weeks before her third birthday.
This happened at Chester Crown Court, where Judge Steven Everett condemned the mother’s actions, describing them as “catastrophic” for the child’s physical, psychological, and social development.
The court heard that the little girl, severely malnourished and suffering from multiple medical issues, had been hidden in a drawer beneath her mother’s bed. She had been deprived of love, care, and even basic necessities.
When found, the child was so undernourished she appeared to be the size of a seven-month-old baby. She had been fed only milky Weetabix using a syringe and was left alone for extended periods, including the times her mother went to work, took her other children to school, or stayed with relatives over Christmas.
The discovery was made by the woman’s partner, who returned to her home one morning to use the bathroom after she had left. Hearing a faint cry, he entered a bedroom and stumbled upon the neglected child. He immediately alerted family members, prompting social services to intervene.
A social worker who arrived at the scene found the girl sitting in the drawer and was stunned by the mother’s indifferent response. “She replied matter-of-factly, ‘Yes, in the drawer,’” the social worker testified. “I was horrified; it was clear I was likely the only face this child had seen apart from her mother’s.”
Two police officers involved in the case were moved to tears as the foster carer’s statement about the child’s condition was read in court. The carer recounted how the child failed to respond to her name, showing no recognition. “It became clear that this little girl didn’t even know her own name,” the statement read.
Medical evaluations revealed that the child had a developmental age of between zero and ten months. She suffered from deformities, matted hair, severe rashes, and other untreated medical conditions, including a cleft palate. Social workers noted that she had been entirely excluded from family life, never receiving a birthday or Christmas present, and had no interaction with her siblings.
In her defense, the mother claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy until the moment of delivery and described herself as “really scared.” She admitted to isolating the child to hide her existence from the abusive father and to prevent her other children and partner from discovering the baby. She also cited mental health struggles, the volatile nature of her relationship with the child’s father, and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown as contributing factors.
However, Judge Everett dismissed these justifications, emphasizing the deliberate and prolonged nature of the neglect. “You starved that little girl of love, affection, attention, and even basic medical care,” he told the mother. “The consequences for her were nothing short of catastrophic. By sheer chance, your terrible secret was discovered.”
The woman pleaded guilty to four counts of child cruelty, which encompassed malnourishment, neglect, abandonment, and failing to seek medical care for her daughter. Her other children, whom she reportedly cared for adequately, were removed from her custody following the discovery of the toddler.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Rachel Worthington stated, “This child had no birthday, no Christmas, and no recognition of her existence. She hadn’t known daylight or fresh air and didn’t even respond to her name.”
The little girl, described as an “intelligent child slowly coming to life” by Judge Everett, is now in the care of foster parents, where she is beginning to experience the love and support she was denied.
