Renfrewshire woman admits shaking 7-month-old baby
A Renfrewshire woman's confessed to shaking a seven-month-old baby so severely she left him disabled.
A Renfrewshire woman's confessed to shaking a seven-month-old baby so severely she left him disabled.
Nikki Irvine is now facing up to five years behind bars for shaking the child - who can't be named for legal reasons - at a property in Bridge of Weir in 2013.
Irvine admitted her guilt when she appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court today over the incident.
She had originally been charged with assaulting the youngster on November 11, 2013.
But she struck a deal with prosecutors which saw her plead guilty to an amended charge of causing his injuries by culpable and reckless conduct.
She admitted she did "culpably and recklessly shake him and did cause severe injury and permanent impairment."
The 29-year-old, who walks with the aid of two crutches, showed no emotion in the dock as she pleaded guilty to leaving the baby disabled.
Irvine, of Johnstone, was represented by Advocate Paul Nelson during the short hearing, before Sheriff Colin Pettigrew.
Mr Nelson told the court that a civil case involving the child in question had been dealt with at the court earlier - by a different sheriff.
He explained: "A conclusion was reached after a number of days of evidence, the sheriff hearing that was M'Lord's brother sheriff, Sheriff Spy.
"He is uniquely placed and is seized of all the facts, not only of what transpired, but also the background.
"My motion is for him to deal with this matter as he handled the other side of the case, as it were."
Sheriff Pettigrew agreed to adjourn the case for Sheriff James Spy to deal with.
As he did so, he said: "I do consider that to be an appropriate way to proceed.
"Had I been hearing the facts today I would have been calling for reports myself.
"I will call for reports today as that expedites matters."
As the case will be dealt with by Sheriff Spy, Procurator Fiscal Depute Scot Dignan, prosecuting, did not narrate the exact circumstances of the case to the court.
A full narration of the facts will be given next month, when Irvine returns to the dock to learn her fate.
Sheriff Pettigrew released her on bail, telling her she would be contacted by the social work department and would have to attend for an interview ahead of her sentencing hearing.
The charge Irvine admitted carries a maximum jail term of five years at Sheriff Court level, but it could be remitted to the High Court for a longer sentence to be imposed if Sheriff Spy does not feel his sentencing powers are sufficient enough.