A man who caused a “catalogue of serious injuries” to a baby in Bedford was jailed today for eight years.
Muhammad Usman, 32, who was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, claimed he was not responsible and tried to blame a young child.
Staff at Bedford Hospital were told the 8-week-old had been dropped by a four-year-old. The warehouse security worker had even texted his wife Salma Mughal in Urdu saying, “Honey, please don’t change the story.”
The couple, who lived in Chester Road, Bedford, took the child to A&E at the hospital on 29 October 2020 two hours after she was injured.
Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew told Luton Crown Court there were “severe fractures to several bones in her body” on her feet, arms hands and fingers.
Mr Mulgrew said a paediatric radiologist said all the fractures required excessive force and occurred on seven separate occasions on at least two separate dates.
A consultant paediatrician’s report indicated a minimum of three traumatic events. “Some fractures occurred in a one to two-week period before 29th October.
“Some fractures were in a two to four-week period at the end of Sept and it may be that some were caused as early as six weeks before,” said the prosecutor.
He said the story of the child dropping the baby did not account for the injuries. The force involved meant they could not have been generated by another child.
The baby died later from an undetected heart condition that was not connected to the assault.
Salma Mughal, 36, was also sentenced today.
She received two years suspended for two years after a jury found her guilty of allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm between 31 August and 30 October 2020. She must also attend 30 rehabilitation days.
Ian Henderson KC, defending Usman, sent the judge character references describing him as a “kind, gentle and generous person”. He was of previous good character.
For Mughal, Nazir Bhari KC said she was mentally unwell, was also of good character, and feels guilt for failing to act.
Mrs Justice Finola O’Farrell said: “Both of you so consumed by your personal difficulties you were insensitive to the vulnerability and fragility of the baby.”
She said that there had been a two-hour delay in taking the child to hospital when she would have continued to cry in pain.
The judge told Usman: “Whether they (the injuries) occurred on one occasion or more they required a number of different applications of serious force.
“The injuries would have been very painful. She must have screamed. You could have been in no doubt you caused her great distress and suffering.”
By South Beds News Agency
Edited by Paul Hutchinson for the
Bedford Independent
