Courts

Father admits charges of endangerment, neglect of 4-year-old son

The 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to reporting the cause of his son’s fatal injuries as an accidental fall to a Garda station

The man also pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting the child. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Alison O'Riordan
Thu Mar 21 2024 - 21:08

A father who reported his four-year-old son’s fatal injuries as having been caused by “an accidental fall” has admitted to charges of endangerment, neglect and impeding the apprehension of the person who he knew or believed to have murdered the child.

The 33-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to four charges which took place in the southwest of the country three years ago.

The man pleaded guilty to reporting the cause of his son’s injuries as an accidental fall to a Garda station in the southwest of the country, with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of another person, knowing or believing them to be guilty of murdering the child or some other arrestable offence, on March 24th, 2021.

He also pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly endangering the child, by causing or permitting him to be placed or left in a situation that created a substantial risk to him of being a victim of serious harm, while being a person who had authority or control over the child, on March 13th, 2021.

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The defendant further pleaded guilty to wilfully causing or procuring or allowing the child to be assaulted in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to his health while being a person having custody, charge or care of the child, between March 6th and 12th, 2021.

In addition, the man also pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting the child on March 13th, 2021.

The child was found with serious injuries at a house in the southwest of the country on March 13th, 2021. He died three days later in hospital in Dublin.

Brian McInerney SC with Maria Brosnan BL, defending, said the trial of his client’s co-accused had been adjourned and no date had yet been fixed.

Aoife O’Leary BL, prosecuting, told Mr Justice Paul McDermott the trial of the defendant’s co-accused was listed for May 1st in circumstances where the defence were seeking a psychiatric report.

Mr Justice McDermott said there was no basis not to proceed to sentence and remanded the man in custody until June 10th, for a sentence hearing. He also directed the preparation of a victim impact report.

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