A father who initially attributed his four-year-old son’s lethal injuries to an “unintentional fall” has confessed to charges including endangerment, neglect and hampering the arrest of the individual he knew or suspected to be the culprit behind the child’s murder. The 33-year-old, whose identity is withheld due to legal constraints, was put on trial at the Central Criminal Court last Thursday, issuing a plea of guilty for four offences committed in the country’s southwest region three years prior.
The individual admitted to providing false information at a southwestern Garda station regarding the reason behind his child’s injuries, claiming them to be accidental to obstruct the arrest or judicial proceedings against another person, knowing or suspecting them to be accountable for the murder of the child or another severe criminal offence, on March 24th, 2021.
Moreover, he declared himself guilty of consciously or carelessly putting the child in danger by allowing him to remain in a situation posing substantial risk of significant harm. His position gives him authority and control over the child, and he admitted to this offence on March 13th, 2021.
The accused also confessed to deliberately causing, inciting or letting the child undergo assault that was probable to inflict unwarranted suffering or health damage, between March 6th and 12th, 2021, when he was responsible for the child’s welfare.
Additionally, on March 13th, 2021, he accepted his guilt in willfully neglecting the child.
The child was discovered with major injuries in a house in the southwestern part of the country on March 13th, 2021, and succumbed three days later in a Dublin hospital.
Brian McInerney SC and Maria Brosnan BL defended their client, stating the trial of the co-defendant had been deferred with no fixed date yet determined.
Furthermore, prosecutor Aoife O’Leary BL informed Mr. Justice Paul McDermott that the trial of the co-defendant was scheduled for May 1st, as the defence solicited a psychiatric evaluation.
Mr Justice McDermott declared there were no grounds to delay sentencing the guilty man and ordered him to remain in custody until June 10th for sentencing. He also issued instructions for producing a victim impact report.