A mother who bashed her eight-month-old daughter with a kitchen utensil has walked free from court with a good behaviour bond after a judge found the baby’s injuries were ‘likely to resolve’.
Lorien Norman, 26, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent after beating her toddler daughter with a slotted spoon.
Although the offence carries a maximum sentence of 13 years, Norman did not spend a day behind bars.
She was instead given a two-year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $500.
Pictured: Eight-month-old Evie after she was bashed by her mother with a slotted spoon and her hand
Evie’s mother initially told police the youngster had fallen at a playground, but later pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent
Mother Lorien Norman (pictured) could have been sentenced to up to 13 years behind bars
District Court Judge Jack Costello told Norman If she followed Community Corrections orders and did not reoffend in any way for two years she would not spend the minimum non parole period of 10 months behind bars.
The court heard Norman called police on October 1 last year, threatening to throw her daughter Evie off a balcony in Adelaide.
When police arrived, they found bruising to the girl’s face and took both mother and child to hospital.
A paediatrician found the toddler had ‘at least eight separate blows to the face and body’, with bruising on her forehead, cheeks, ears, neck and arm – caused by a slotted spoon and a hand.
Pictures of Evie after the attack show the young girl sporting a black eye with a small cut and dark bruises on her face.
Instead, Norman was allowed to walk free on a two year good behaviour bond following her sentencing last week
Initially, her mother attempted to persuade police the youngster had become bruised following a fall in a playground, the court heard.
Afterwards, Norman pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent – which carries a maximum sentence of 13 years.
Judge Costello told the Adelaide District Court last week: ‘Whilst any assault of a child, particularly one of such a tender age and vulnerability, by a parent stands as a gross breach of trust, your offending is nevertheless far from the most serious of offending of this type in terms of the degree of force involved and the duration of the offending’.
‘In this respect I particularly note the opinion of the treating paediatrician to the effect that there was no evidence of bony or intracranial injury and that your daughter’s physical injuries were likely to completely resolve,’ he continued.
Part of Judge Costello’s justification for not imprisoning Norman was that Evie’s injuries ‘were likely to completely resolve’
If Norman were to break the good behaviour bond, she would be sentenced to a minimum of 10 months behind bars
For Evie’s father, Shane McMahon, the sentence is beyond belief.
‘I’m disgusted – I’m truly speechless,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I’ve raised both these girls [Evie and India, the second child he had with Norman] single handedly, and she gets 10 months of a sentence that carries a maximum of 13 years!
‘Where is Evie’s justice?’
Instead of heading to jail, Norman will be under the supervision of a community corrections officer.
She will be required to attend and complete any counselling, assessment or therapy programs deemed appropriate by the officer, and must not possess a firearm.
Daily Mail Australia have attempted to contact Ms Norman for comment.
Evie’s father Shane McMahon (pictured) says he has raised the youngster and her sister India ‘singlehandedly’
Evie’s father Shane McMahon told Daily Mail Australia he had been caring full time for the two daughters he had with Norman (pictured)
Evie’s father, Shane McMahon, says he is ‘speechless’ at the lenient sentence given to Norman