Mother kept baby hidden in divan bed drawer until weeks before her third birthday

Transcript

00:00A woman who kept her three-year-old baby hidden in a drawer under her bed has been jailed for

00:05seven and a half years. The child was found at the family home in Cheshire with matted hair,

00:09deformities and rashes and was severely malnourished. The court heard that the

00:14mother kept the baby a secret from her siblings and partner by hiding her in the divan bed.

00:18The court was also told that the woman didn't seek medical assistance for the child's cleft

00:23palate and only fed her milky Weetabix through a syringe. The child was eventually found when

00:27the mother's boyfriend returned to the house one morning to use the toilet after the mother had

00:31left. He then alerted family members and social services. The woman told authorities she was

00:37really scared when she gave birth and that she didn't want the child's abusive father

00:40to find out about her. The judge found the mother guilty of four counts of child cruelty.