Jail for mother who bit son's arm

A mother who bit her five-year-old son on the arm after the child hurt his eight-month-old sister has been jailed for five months.

The 28-year-old, who cannot be named, told police she thought the boy had injured his sister at the family home in Cheltenham after she heard crying.

The boy's teachers reported the case after finding two marks, both more than 3cm long, on him.

The mother pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully assaulting a child.

Asked by police why she had bitten the child, the woman said: "I don't know.

The treatment of children is the test of a civilised society Judge Mark Horton

"Probably that he hurt his sister so he's got to be hurt. It's an automatic reaction to protect your youngest."

Judge Mark Horton, at Gloucester Crown Court, said: "There can be few offences more likely to cause anger and desire for retribution from the public than a case of a parent who maliciously and without cause assaults her own child."

The woman, who had previously hoped to become a counsellor, has since had both children taken into foster care.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said: "This is a case of inadequate parenting by a mother who, in interview, admitted biting her son, had difficulty explaining why she had done it, but said that she was sorry for having done so."

Lloyd Jenkins, defending, said his client was struggling as a single mother and the bite was a "knee-jerk reaction".

He said: "She has started a 12-week course with regards to improving her parenting skills, dealing with anger management issues, not flying off the handle, not seeking revenge and not biting her five-year-old child."

Judge Horton said the treatment of children was "the test of a civilised society" and he would be failing in his duty if he did not jail the woman immediately.

The woman will serve half of her sentence before being released on licence.