A TEENAGE mother and her boyfriend were convicted yesterday of cruelty to her ten-week-old baby who was found with multiple fractures.

After a six-day trial, the jury at Teesside Crown Court took only 45 minutes to convict Rachael Simpson, 19, and Andrew Spence, 24, to whom she is expecting another baby next month.

Spence was jailed for five years. Simpson will be sentenced in three weeks' time, but was warned that she, too, is likely to go to prison.

Jobless Spence was found guilty of two charges of child cruelty on baby Kane Simpson by assaulting and neglecting him between September and December 2001.

Simpson was cleared of cruelty by assault by the direction of the judge, but found guilty of cruelty by neglect.

A medical expert said the baby had the most severe injuries he had seen in his 20- year career. The child had sustained brain injuries and two skull fractures. Both his arms and legs were broken and he had six broken ribs.

Robin Denny, defending Spence, said: "There is precious little that can be said in this highly depressing case, not only ill-treatment that had been meted out, but also evidence of gross immaturity."

Judge Guy Whitburn told Spence: "It is beyond belief what you did to that ten-week-old child, the injuries described, the pain that child must have gone through.

"The maximum sentence I can pass upon you is one of ten years. The very least sentence I can pass upon you taking into account your relatively young age and previous good character is one of five years. I emphasise it is your youth that saved you."

The judge told Simpson that he would sentence her in three weeks' time but warned it was almost inevitable that she would be jailed.

Baby Kane is now with foster parents but it is not known if he will make a complete recovery.

Simpson, who lives with Spence, in Redworth Road, Billingham, faces having her new baby taken away from her because of her record.

Investigating officer PC Rachel Peake told The Northern Echo last night: "This was one of the most horrific cases of child cruelty we have ever investigated."