A WOMAN who was found guilty of causing horrific injuries to a nine-week-old baby has been spared jail.

Anthony Bond

A WOMAN who was found guilty of causing horrific injuries to a nine-week-old baby has been spared jail.

Claire Thompson, of Talbot Road, Sudbury, was found guilty in March of fracturing the baby's skull, causing a rib fracture and up to three leg fractures.

At Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, the 32-year-old was handed a nine-month suspended prison sentence and told she must carry out 200 hours of community service.

Judge David Goodin - who had been told that Thompson had “lost everything” following the incident - told her she had already suffered more than any sentence the court could impose on her.

He added: “All evidence simply confirms you to be an industrious, decent and placid well-liked young woman who was slow to anger and disinclined to confrontation.”

He added: “The only sensible explanation for these injuries must have been a sudden and momentary loss of control.”

Thompson was found guilty at the end of March of causing grievous bodily harm to a baby that she was looking after. However, she was found not guilty of intentionally causing the injuries.

Despite denying both charges, she admitted that she was one of three people who could have caused them in the eyes of the law.

The court heard yesterdayfrom Lindsay Cox, representing Thompson, who told how his client was unlikely to appear before the court again. He also spoke of the effect the incident had had.

“She was engaged and lost that,” he said. “The home that she had with a former partner was again lost to her. She was working in the retail industry in a job that would bring her into contact with children. Although she has not been told that she is fired, she has not gone back to work, and I cannot in all honestly think that she could keep that appointment.”

An expert at Thompson's trial told how the skull fracture was likely to have been caused by the baby's head hitting a hard surface with force and the broken rib was likely to have been caused by severe squeezing. The leg fractures were said to have been caused by forceful pulling or twisting or violent shaking.

Thompson was also told that she must pay �500 towards prosecution costs.