A DARLINGTON woman has narrowly avoided an immediate custodial sentence for neglecting her young child.

Megan Johnson allowed the youngster to be violently attacked by her former partner and failed to report his behaviour to the authorities, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The foster carer, who looked after the child after a guardian order was imposed, told the court how the child was underweight and could barely speak or walk at first.

"The difference now is unbelievable, he is almost the correct height and weight for his age and he non-stop chatters away," she said.

"His night terrors have almost stopped now, it is very rare he has one now."

The court heard how the child was now living a more normal life and was making good progress.

The neglect happened between the end of June 2019 and middle of May last year.

Johnson faced two charges of failing to bring to the notice the authorities this abuse her child suffered at the hands of her partner and she also failed to provide a clean and safe environment for her child.

The court heard how the defendant had failed to ensure the safety of the young child who was 'kicked and stamped on' and she was a victim of domestic abuse.

Ian West, in mitigation, said his client had allowed herself to be influenced by her ex-partner.

He added: "It was neglect as she didn't actively maltreat the child, she did try to keep her partner away from her child, she did take him round to her mother's but I accept that she didn't do enough.

"That was the jury's verdict and I accept it."

Mr West said her late guilty plea to one of the charges didn't warrant any discount at sentence.

He added Johnson, of Darlington, was 'inadequate rather than wicked' as he urged the judge to pass non-custodial sentence.

Judge Chris Smith sentenced the 22-year-old to 12-months in custody, suspended for 18 months.

He said: "The jury convicted you of exposing your child to neglect by failing report him to the authorities for acts of violence and aggression which you witnessed yourself and for failing to put a stop to him, on a nightly basis, medicating unnecessarily your child with paracetamol.

"Once he had been arrested, social services came to your assistance and for the best part of three weeks they visited you on regular occasions but things were very bad at home.

"You were failing to provide the basic needs for your child – food, clean clothing, clean bedding, you were allowing him to survive in very full nappies in an unhygienic environment.

"He know lives elsewhere and it is clear that things have very much turned around for him and made a full recovery from the exposure to risk you exposed him to."

She was made subject to an electronically tagged curfew and ordered to carry out rehabilitation activity requirement days.

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