04/06/2009

Child Cruelty Couple Imprisoned

A West Yorkshire couple who subjected a six-week-old baby to abuse and failed to get medical attention when she contracted meningitis have today been jailed.

Rizwan Patel, 26, and Alliah Bradshaw, 29 pleaded guilty to child cruelty, were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court.

Patel has admitted two charged of child cruelty and one of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the infant, while Bradshaw admitted to two charges of child cruelty.

Patel was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail today, while Bradshaw, 29, was jailed for three years.

The couple's actions left the child - who cannot be named for legal reasons - deaf, blind and severely disabled.

After the baby contracted meningitis, the pair failed to take her to hospital, despite her becoming increasingly ill.

The court heard the couple only called for medical help when the child's condition became life threatening.

By the time she was seen by doctors, she had suffered neurological damage, sight problems and a significant loss of motor skills.

The baby also had two broken legs, which had been left untreated for three weeks, despite advice from a doctor the infant should have been x-rayed.

Sentencing the couple, Judge Jonathan Rose condemned the couple's failure to seek medical attention and said: "These actions were inexplicable, deplorable and indefensible."

(JM/BMcC)

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