Woman who left toddler to fall from first floor window avoids jail

A woman who left a toddler alone for him to fall out of an open first floor window avoided jail today.

Suzanne Dolan, 41, was caring for the boy who landed on concrete in the garden of her home in Glasgow's Tollcross on September 28 2020.

The boy was in the kitchen by himself while Dolan spoke to a delivery driver.

She initially claimed that the boy - who suffered a fractured skull and bleed to the brain - had fallen from a trampoline.

The child also suffered a fractured leg following a later incident after he fell down stairs when left alone again.

Dolan pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to a charge of wilfully neglecting the boy.

Sheriff Owen Mullan today ordered Dolan to do 210 hours of unpaid work and put her under supervision for two years.

Dolan was also tagged for three months, keeping her indoors between 7pm and 7am.

The sheriff said: “This matter meets the custodial threshold - it is a serious matter.

“I am just persuaded to avoid a custodial sentence here.

“There is nothing I can usefully add to explain or comment on the tragedy of what happened in this case.

“I take it as genuine from you that you live with the consequences for that and have shown remorse.”

The court heard that Dolan's neighbour first spotted the boy lying on concrete, believing that he was sleeping.

The neighbour shouted on Dolan who was speaking to the delivery driver.

Dolan said to her neighbour: "He can't be outside."

Prosecutor Kyle Dalziel said: "Dolan ran down from the front door of the first floor flat to the outside.

"The boy was unresponsive, lying on concrete in the garden under the kitchen window which was open.

"The boy's shoes were found scattered on the ground. He was lying in a pool of blood and sick. The blood was coming from an injury to his head."

Dolan took the boy inside - he was conscious but walking with a limp.

A 999 call was made when Dolan claimed that the boy had fell from a trampoline when "he wasn't looking."

Dolan told the truth the next day and that the fall had occurred when she spoke to the delivery driver.

The boy was treated at hospital meantime for a "significant head injury."

The boy suffered a fractured skull, a blood clot as well as a swollen and bleeding brain.

As a result, the boy walks with a limp, drags his feet and has vision impairment in his right eye.

Dolan later installed baby gates at the top of her stairs and the third stair from the bottom.

On March 3 2021, Dolan did not lock one of the gates when she was getting washing.

Mr Dalziel said: "Dolan observed the boy bumping down four or five steps before the gate and he cried."

Later that day, Dolan went to the toilet when she heard the boy cry again.

Mr Dalziel said: "She thought she heard a thud but not a loud thud and thought the boy had fallen from the third step before the gate."

Dolan picked the boy up to dress him and noted that his leg was in pain as he screamed.

She took him to hospital where he was found to have suffered a fracture to his leg.

The boy was then put in a leg cast.

Ian McCarthy, defending, told the sentencing: “It is clear the offences had life changing consequences.

“She deeply regrets what happened her and continues to show remorse.”

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