My heartache over neglected children

Feb 22 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A YOUNG mother is fighting to have her three children returned to her from foster care following a harrowing court case in which her ex was caged for assaulting their baby boy.

Michael Giles was jailed for four years to a young offenders institution last Thursday, after he admitted to inflicting a horrifying list of injuries on the 11-week-old boy, including breaking his forearm and both his ankles.

His former girlfriend Lynette Duddin, 20, last night told the Sunday Sun how she admitted to the charge of causing child cruelty by wilful neglect for which she received a suspended sentence because she feels she failed to protect her little boy.

Lynette, of North Tyneside, split with Giles last June, weeks after police charged him with causing GBH and assault, which resulted in both their sons being taken into the care of social services.

Yet the young mum, who was with Giles for six years, had already fallen pregnant by him a third time.

In a devastating chain of events last week, Lynette gave birth to a baby girl who was immediately taken from her . . . and the following day she found herself in Newcastle Crown Court where she was sentenced to 40 weeks in a Young Offenders Institution, suspended for two years, with two years supervision.

Now Giles is finally behind bars, she is desperate to prove to health authorities that she is capable of giving her children the love, care and attention they need.

Looking pale and exhausted from her ordeal, tears streamed down her face as she said: "Hes in jail now so I can concentrate on being a good mum.

"I hate him and never want to speak to him again. If I see him on the street when hes released Ill just walk away.

Newcastle Crown Court heard last week how Giles was arrested after their young son was taken in a distressed state to North Tyneside Hospital by Lynette last April.

Giles admitted fracturing the boy's forearm, ankles and causing cuts to his ear, nose and injuries to his toes, between the time of his sons birth and admission to hospital.

Lynette says she never saw Giles assault their son, but while he was alone with him in another room, she had heard the baby screaming.