CAROLINE BELL OF CUPEAR JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE AT LOCAL NURSERY
| Red Rose Database
Cupar Child Abuser
A nursery worker from Cupar has been sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing incidents involving a young child at her care. Caroline Bell, aged 44 and residing on Lorraine Drive in Cupar, was found guilty of inflicting physical harm on a child at the now-renamed Little Beehives nursery, formerly known as the Busy Bee nursery.
According to court proceedings, Bell engaged in acts of severe physical abuse that included dangling a young child upside down until the blood vessels around his eyes burst. Witnesses and co-workers at the nursery recounted that Bell also lifted a child by his ankles, carried him across the room, and then forcefully "dumped" him on his head.
The court heard that Bell, during the trial, made inappropriate remarks about her actions, joking about the incidents as if they were trivial or mundane, even comparing them to what she had for her evening meal. This callous attitude was highlighted by witnesses who expressed their shock at her lack of remorse.
Bell had denied the charges initially, but after a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, she was convicted of two counts of assault. The incidents in question took place between November 1, 2013, and February 26, 2014. The prosecution clarified early in the proceedings that they would no longer pursue a charge of ill-treatment of children.
The nursery’s owners publicly supported the police investigation and confirmed that Bell was dismissed from her position once the allegations surfaced. The court was told that Bell’s actions represented a serious breach of trust and inflicted significant harm on the child involved.
During sentencing, Sheriff Simon Collins QC described the crimes as "dreadful" and emphasized that there was no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence. Bell, visibly upset, wept in the dock as the sheriff sentenced her to eight months in prison and issued a ban preventing her from working with children in the future.
In his remarks, the sheriff condemned Bell’s continued denial of one of the charges and her minimization of the other. He pointed out the compelling evidence against her, including multiple witnesses who testified against her conduct. The court underscored the seriousness of abusing a position of trust and the devastating impact such actions have on vulnerable children.
According to court proceedings, Bell engaged in acts of severe physical abuse that included dangling a young child upside down until the blood vessels around his eyes burst. Witnesses and co-workers at the nursery recounted that Bell also lifted a child by his ankles, carried him across the room, and then forcefully "dumped" him on his head.
The court heard that Bell, during the trial, made inappropriate remarks about her actions, joking about the incidents as if they were trivial or mundane, even comparing them to what she had for her evening meal. This callous attitude was highlighted by witnesses who expressed their shock at her lack of remorse.
Bell had denied the charges initially, but after a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, she was convicted of two counts of assault. The incidents in question took place between November 1, 2013, and February 26, 2014. The prosecution clarified early in the proceedings that they would no longer pursue a charge of ill-treatment of children.
The nursery’s owners publicly supported the police investigation and confirmed that Bell was dismissed from her position once the allegations surfaced. The court was told that Bell’s actions represented a serious breach of trust and inflicted significant harm on the child involved.
During sentencing, Sheriff Simon Collins QC described the crimes as "dreadful" and emphasized that there was no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence. Bell, visibly upset, wept in the dock as the sheriff sentenced her to eight months in prison and issued a ban preventing her from working with children in the future.
In his remarks, the sheriff condemned Bell’s continued denial of one of the charges and her minimization of the other. He pointed out the compelling evidence against her, including multiple witnesses who testified against her conduct. The court underscored the seriousness of abusing a position of trust and the devastating impact such actions have on vulnerable children.