An Adelaide mother who left her 8-month-old with severe bruising and abrasions has walked away from a charge that carries a maximum of 13 years without spending a day in prison.
Lorien Norman, 26, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent after she beat her daughter Evie with a slotted spoon.
District Court Judge Jack Costello determined that the extensive injuries would heal completely, so sentenced Norman to a two-year good behaviour bond and a $500 fine.
The court heard that Norman had called the police on October 1 last year, threatening to throw Evie off a balcony.
When police arrived, they found the baby with bruises all over her face and took both mother and child to hospital.
A paediatrician told the court that the baby had bruising on her forehead, cheeks, ears, neck and arm, caused by “at least eight separate blows to the face and body” with a slotted spoon and hand.
Despite initially claiming Evie had received the bruises on the playground, she eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent.
Judge Costello told the Adelaide District Court last week: “Whilst any assault of a child, particularly one of such a tender age and vulnerability, by a parent stands as a gross breach of trust, your offending is nevertheless far from the most serious of offending of this type in terms of the degree of force involved and the duration of the offending.”
“In this respect I particularly note the opinion of the treating paediatrician to the effect that there was no evidence of bony or intracranial injury and that your daughter’s physical injuries were likely to completely resolve,” he added.
Evie’s father, Shane McMahon, is appalled by the sentencing.
“I’m disgusted – I’m truly speechless,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“I’ve raised both these girls [Evie and India, the second child he had with Norman] single handedly, and she gets 10 months of a sentence that carries a maximum of 13 years!
“Where is Evie’s justice?”
Norman will be under the supervision of community corrections officer instead of heading to jail and will be required to attend and complete counselling, assessment and therapy programs.
