Mother stabbed baby in bassinette

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 5

Mother stabbed baby in bassinette

PA Hamilton As an infant lay in her bassinet the mother drove a carving knife through her body, the High Court in Hamilton heard yesterday. Found guilty of injuring her daughter with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm was a Te Kuiti housewife, aged 23, whose name has been suppressed pending a probation report.. The woman, who appeared before Mr Justice Bisson and a jury of eight women and four men, was remanded on present bail terms until November 26 for a probation report and sentence. Mr C. Q. M. Almao prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr B. Barris was counsel for the accused. The stabbing occurred in Te Kuiti just before midnight on April 4. Earlier in the evening the woman had drunk 12 handles of beer and eight rums at the Waitomo Club, the court heard. She and her de facto husband had several arguments during the evening, which culminated in him sending I her to bed when they arrived home. The husband said he had gone into the kitchen to see his baby when the woman came from the bedroom. Then he saw blood on the baby's clothing and a knife on the floor. The woman told the police

she did not plan to harm the child, Mr Almao said. She said she only intended to attack her husband but'for some reason decided to take it out on the baby. A doctor told the Court that the stab wound pierced the baby’s body in the central upper abdomen through to its back, causing part of the intestine to protrude. The little girl has recovered and now bears only a scar, the doctor said. A medical practitioner who gave evidence for the accused, said he had sent the woman to the Waikato Hospital ' mothercraft unit shortly after the baby’s birth as she had symptoms of postnatal depression. Towards the end of February she was well and appeared to be happy and coping well with the baby, he said.