Galway Bay fm newsroom – A woman has been found guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court on 29 counts of neglect and cruelty to her children in the west of Ireland between 2006 and 2011.
They came back with the verdicts after deliberating for just over three and a half hours.
The jurors emerged from the belly of the courthouse at 3.15 and the foreman answered GUILTY to 29 of the charges put to him.
He replied NOT guilty to the remaining 13.
The claims of neglect and cruelty related to seven of the woman’s children – five of whom gave evidence through a live video link.
The court heard claims of children being beaten with wooden spoons, belts and a back-scratcher.
Two of her sons recalled an incident where they had to jump out of the way after she drove her car at them.
They claimed they’d been told to get out moments beforehand after spilling ice-cream in the back seat.
The woman admitted pouring fairy liquid down some of their throats and slapping her children from time to time to discipline them, but denied using excessive force and relied on the defence of ‘reasonable chastisement.’
Her eldest daughter came into court in tears after the verdicts were delivered.
Her mother will be sentenced in April.
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