Portsmouth mum avoids jail after ‘brutal assault’ on son

The 40-year-old parent, who cannot be named to protect the child’s identity, struck out and hit her then 10-year-old son in 2010 but was only brought before the criminal justice system last year. 

The Havant mum denied cruelty to a person under the age of 16 but was found guilty of the offence by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court in December.

The mum, who now rarely sees her son, was today sentenced for her crime.

Defence barrister Charles Gabb told the court how the parent, who had no relevant previous convictions, had changed her ways. ‘She is trying to remedy her situation by getting voluntary assistance for alcohol treatment and is attending a parenting skills course,’ he said.

‘She is trying to right the wrongs of what she did and get her children back.’

Judge Tim Mousley QC admitted he was ‘persuaded’ to suspend the eight month jail sentence for 18 months he handed down, despite admitting it was a ‘brutal assault’ after the mum was witnessed ‘kicking’ her son.

But the judge added: ‘You are not the same person now as the one who acted in such a grossly irresponsible way at the time and it is for this reason I am persuaded to suspend the sentence.’