A mother who kept her baby daughter hidden in a drawer for the first three years of her life has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for severe neglect.
The child, who prosecutors said had never seen daylight or fresh air, was discovered only when a visitor to the house in Cheshire heard her crying.
For the sake of the child’s privacy, she and her family cannot be named.
The mother, who pleaded guilty to four charges of child cruelty, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court. Judge Steven Everett described the case as “shocking,” saying the woman had “starved that little girl of any love, affection, proper attention, interaction with others, a healthy diet, and necessary medical care.”
“An intelligent little girl who is now perhaps slowly coming to life, from what was almost a living death in that room,” the judge added.
The court was told that the mother hid the baby in a drawer under her bed and kept her presence a secret from her partner and other children. The mother’s partner, who frequently stayed at the house, was unaware of the baby’s existence.
Prosecutor Rachel Worthington explained that the child, when found, did not respond to her own name. She had been left alone for long periods and had to “fend for herself” without enough food.
The court heard that the girl was severely malnourished, appearing more like a seven-month-old than a three-year-old. She had been fed with milky Weetabix through a syringe and had a cleft palate, along with other untreated medical conditions.
The neglect took place between early 2020 and early 2023, and the child was only discovered when a visitor to the home heard noises coming from upstairs and found her on the bed.
A social worker, who was called to the house after the discovery, described her “overwhelming horror” upon entering the room. The child was found with matted hair, physical deformities, and rashes.
The social worker recalled asking the mother, “Is this where you keep her?” to which the mother coldly replied, “Yes, in the drawer.” The social worker said the mother’s lack of emotion made the situation even more disturbing.
“I was probably the only other face she had seen apart from her mother’s,” the social worker said.
The court also heard about the serious developmental issues the child, now in foster care, faced due to the neglect.
During a police interview, the mother claimed she had not known she was pregnant and was “really scared” when she gave birth. She insisted the child was not kept in the drawer all the time, but that it was never closed. She told officers the child was “not part of the family.”
The mother tearfully explained how her other children, whom she had previously cared for well, no longer lived with her.
Judge Everett expressed his disbelief at the mother’s actions, saying, “What you did totally defies belief. You attempted to control this situation as carefully as you could, but by sheer chance, your terrible secret was discovered.”
“I cannot recall a case as bad as this in my 46 years in the legal profession,” he added.
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