A WOMAN who failed to take her child to the doctor after the youngster was injured by her abusive partner has been given a suspended jail sentence for child neglect.

Plymouth Crown Court heard the woman, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of her child, had two children by different fathers and returned to her home city of Plymouth in April 2007.

Llewellyn Sellick, prosecuting, said after she met a man on an internet dating site he moved into the family home in August the same year: but when her younger child joined a city nursery, staff noticed facial bruising. Police visited the family and the mother suggested the child had fallen against her exercise machine.

That October the child suffered a fractured elbow while home alone with the mother's boyfriend, and the following month the child's headteacher contacted Social Services after staff noticed more facial bruising, which the mother blamed on an allergic reaction to a wet wipe.

After bruises were spotted on the child's back, Social Services and police took the youngster to Derriford Hospital, where staff found extensive bruising and a fractured rib.

Kelly Scrivener, for the woman, said her client had no previous convictions. She saw her child attacked by the man, who threatened her physically, but had stayed the night with the child in hospital and agreed to both children going into care and being adopted, provided she could see them three times a year.

The woman was socially isolated, with no support from family or friends, but was working hard to improve her life skills.

Judge Paul Darlow said the woman, who pleaded guilty to one charge of child neglect, saw what had happened to her youngster and could have reported it two days sooner.

However, he added: "You were not responsible for inflicting any injuries on your [child], and were intimidated by your partner."

He imposed a nine-week jail sentence, suspended for two years, with supervision for 12 months by the Probation Service, and disqualified her indefinitely from working with children.