20/04/2007

Suspended sentences for toddler fight women

Four women who goaded two toddlers to fight each other and filmed it have been given suspended sentences of 12 months each.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that the women - Zara Care, 29, Carole Olver, 48, Serenza Olver, 29 and Danielle Olver, 19, all from North Prospect, Plymouth - had recorded the fight between a two-year-old boy and his three-year-old sister on a home video camera for seven minutes.

At one point, the boy is seen crying after being punched in the face by the girl, but one of the woman is heard calling him a "wimp" and a "faggot" for not hitting her back.

The boy was also cheered for using a magazine to repeatedly hit the girl around the head.

Care admitted causing or procuring the children to be ill-treated in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

The other three women pleaded guilty to jointly inciting the ill treatment of children.

At sentencing, Judge Francis Gilbert described the women as "cruel" and "callous".

They have also been sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work.

The children are now in the care of their paternal grandparents.

(KMcA/JM)


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