A 26-year-old man who fractured his partner's three-month-old son's skull and caused him serious brain injuries has had his sentence adjourned to next December at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ciprian Mircescu, a native of Romania from Parnell Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to inflicting serious harm to the boy and to wilfully neglecting him in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering and injury between September 1st and October 5th, 2000.
Judge Desmond Hogan said he regarded the case with the utmost seriousness but adjourned finalising it until December 15th. He wanted to wait because the North Eastern Health Board had hoped to have the boy back living with the couple, who have since married, before Ms Mihaela Dumea was due to give birth in November and he wanted to see how things developed in the meantime.
"These offences are extremely serious and the court must regard them as such. However, it does appear that it would be inappropriate for me to reach a decision at this time," he said. Det Garda Thomas Feighery told Ms Tara Burns BL, prosecuting, that the first incident happened when Mirescu was minding the child while his partner was out shopping.
When the baby began to cry Mircescu gave him some medication but it made him worse and he cried louder and louder. Det Garda Feighery said Mircescu picked the boy up, shook him and then threw him onto the couch. The baby rolled over and fell off, hitting his head on the fireplace.
Following the second "choking" incident, Ms Dumea brought the baby to Temple Street Hospital on October 1st after he had been vomiting for some days.
Tests and a CT scan found that he had a fractured skull and his brain was bleeding. He was transferred to Beaumont Hospital for surgical treatment before returning to Temple Street.
He was operated on again that December but doctors believe that his injuries will not affect him in the future, although a psychological evaluation before he starts school is recommended.