A MONSTER husband and his wife, who have shown “no remorse” have been jailed after inflicting horror injuries on a four-week-old baby.
Christopher Fulton, 35, and Amanda Fulton, 36, who are now estranged, from Co Antrim have been sentenced to 22 years and four years respectively.
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Until now it could only be reported that Christopher Fulton had assaulted a very young child.
But on application by the media the judge varied the reporting restriction, allowing it to be stated clearly how the 6’3”, 16 stone fully grown man left the baby bruised, blind, brain damaged and close to death.
Jailing the 35-year-old at an emotionally charged Newry Crown Court today Judge Peter Irvine IC told him: “I have found you to be dangerous in relation to young children.”
So in addition to a 22 year jail sentence for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, he ordered that Mr Fulton will be subject to an extended licence period of five years.
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He told the thug the assault on the four-week-old child in November 2019 resulted in “devastation to his life” but even before those “dreadful events…you displayed aggressive behaviour towards him.”
Standing alongside her estranged husband 36-year-old Amanda Fulton was handed a four year sentence with half to be served in jail and half on licence, for two counts of child cruelty by the wilful neglect of the four week old baby.
Jailing her, Judge Irvine told Mrs Fulton “you failed to protect P, knowing that your husband was quite capable of causing him physical harm, knowing that he was seriously ill you neglected his well being.”
The judge declared: “Your dereliction of duty and care to P was unforgivable.”
At the end of the five week trial last October, the jury found Mr Fulton unanimously guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and two charges of child cruelty by wilfully neglecting the young victim.
EXTENT OF INJURIES
While Mrs Fulton was acquitted of GBH and one charge of child cruelty, she was however unanimously convicted of causing or allowing the child to suffer significant physical harm and a further charge of wilful neglect.
The court heard how the month old baby was unresponsive on the morning of 7 November 2019 at Fulton’s home at Rockfield Gardens just outside Ballymoney, but despite their concerns neither defendant called a doctor for three hours.
When the little boy was eventually seen by the GP, it was obvious to him that “he was a very sick chid.”
Initially he was rushed in an ambulance to the Causeway Hospital where a scan uncovered a significant head injury and he was then taken to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children where he endured lifesaving brain surgery.
It was there that doctors discovered the true extent of his life threatening injuries including.
Mrs Fulton, the jury decided, did nothing to help or intervene to stop the abuse.
In what is a legal first in Northern Ireland, a harrowing and heart rending Victim Impact Statement was read verbatim to the court directly from the witness box of Newry Crown Court where the little boy’s foster mum laid bare the consequences of the shocking attack and treatment perpetrated by the Fultons.
BELOVED BY FOSTER MUM
Revealing how the injuries he sustained were not just life changing but also life limiting, she told the court: “If the sky were made of parchment and I were to fill it with words of how much he means to us, it would still fall short to describe the love that we have for him”.
During his 45 minute sentencing remarks today, Judge Irvine repeated part of her poignant testimony, laying bare how the now five-year-old victim cannot see, speak, walk, talk or eat and he endures cerebral irritability which causes “spells of prolonged crying during which he cannot be comforted.”
Despite the catastrophic consequences and the fact the little boy may die from the injuries, the judge revealed that both Fultons maintain their protestations of innocence, have shown no remorse and have little to no insight into the consequences for the five-year-old child.
He told the court: “There are no mitigating factors identifiable in this case.
“No remorse has been demonstrated by either defendant and both defendants still maintain their denial of guilt.”
Judge Irvine said their attitude and actions towards the boy was in “stark contrast” to that displayed by his foster mum who has “devoted her life to P and despite all his problems, has shown the love and care which he clearly deserves.”
‘PATTERN OF VIOLENCE’
While there was no mitigation to be found, the judge said there was a list of aggravating factors including that the victim was vulnerable and defenceless, he had suffered a “pattern of violence” in the four weeks before the devastating assault and it was a case of both high harm and high culpability.
Addressing each defendant individually, Judge Irvine told Mrs Fulton: “You failed to protect P, knowing that your husband was quite capable of causing him physical harm, knowing that he was seriously ill, you neglected his well being, and you did not attempt to obtain medical treatment at yourself for him. Your dereliction of duty and care to pay was unforgivable.”
As Mr Fulton stood in the dock, the judge told him: “You failed to get medical treatment for P. You inflicted the life threatening injury sustained by P and the resulting devastation to his life, you displayed aggressive behaviour towards him before these dreadful events occurred and even after the assault took place, you displayed a total disregard for his well-being.”
“You may be taken down,” declared the judge as he concluded the hearing.
