Mum who smuggled newborn baby in bag is freed from jail

A MOTHER who smuggled her newborn baby out of hospital in a changing bag has been freed from jail.

The teenager hid the four-day-old baby in a bag after she was banned from having custody of the child.

She and her partner were jailed for 84 days for taking the baby from Hull and East Yorkshire Women and Children's Hospital into a waiting car.

Now, the 18-year-old mother has won her appeal against her sentence after Hull's top judge agreed to show her mercy.

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The honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding Judge Michael Mettyear said: "What you did was wholly irresponsible and wrong.

"You are very young, you had just gone through the birth of your child and you were greatly upset.

"Although I do not think this sentence is wrong in principle and clearly the district judge was entitled to come to the conclusion that custody was appropriate, mercy can be shown to you."

Her 84-day prison sentence has been quashed and she has been re-sentenced to a 75-day prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

She has also been ordered to attend a thinking skills programme and has been given 12-month supervision by the Probation Service.

The couple, who both live in Beverley, took the child after East Riding Council social workers were granted an interim care order at the town's magistrates' court to take the baby into care.

Prosecutor Stephen Robinson said: "The mum's partner approached social services at court and asked if they would be allowed some time to say goodbye and it was agreed they could have until the end of visiting hours at 4pm.

"They arrived at 2.30pm and spent some time with the child and the defendant was seen to storm out of the room. At 4pm, she returned."

She wrapped the child in a blanket and placed the baby in changing bag, leaving the hospital to be driven away by her brother.

The baby snatching sparked a huge police search for the missing baby and the pair were stopped in Malton after planning to take the infant to Scotland.

The mum, her 21-year-old partner and her 28-year-old brother admitted taking a child without authority.

Her partner and brother were jailed for 84 days.

It is the second child the young mum, who has previous criminal convictions, has had taken into care.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is investigating and has reassured parents it has security measures in place.