Sacked nursery worker attacked toddler

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found semi-conscious and blue in the face after mother-of-two Sarah Joyce rang his father just an hour after he had been dropped off at her home in Midland Terrace.

The father had to ring for an ambulance and the boy was taken to the city's Royal Infirmary where he was found to have small red spots on his face and ears as well as markings around his neck. Because of uncertainty over his condition the youngster had to undergo an MRI scan and stay in hospital for a week.

Joyce claimed to have been upstairs at the time the boy was hurt. During police questioning the 24-year-old, who was not registered to look after children, suggested the injury to the youngster's neck might have been caused by a cord on a toy phone.

But Gillian Batts, prosecuting, told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that further reports concluded his neck had been subjected to significant compressive force for at least 20 seconds. A consultant forensic pathologist ruled out a toy phone or a velcro bib as being the cause of the injuries.

During another police interview last year Joyce suggested the toddler had been difficult when she was trying to feed him and she had pulled him back by his bib as he tried to get away from her.

But Miss Batts said Joyce's account was inconsistent with the medical findings. "The prosecution's case is that this was a sustained assault using forceful pressure which lasted at least 20 seconds," she told Recorder Edward Bindloss.

Last month Joyce pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The court heard she had previously worked as an unqualified member of staff at a Bradford nursery but in 2007 she was dismissed because of her abrupt behaviour towards the children.