LUCI NICHOLLS SHOCKS NUNEATON WITH CHILD ABUSE CRIMES AT BIRMINGHAM CROWN COURT

Luci Marie Nicholls, a woman from Nuneaton, has been sentenced in connection with the severe abuse and neglect of her four-week-old baby. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of violence, starvation, and injury inflicted upon the infant over a period of two weeks in January 2022.

On April 22, 2025, the court handed down a sentence that includes an 18-month suspended prison term along with 100 hours of community service. This decision follows a detailed investigation and a guilty plea by Nicholls at Birmingham Crown Court in January 2025, where she admitted to charges of child neglect and cruelty under Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

The case emerged after social services intervened following a routine visit by local health visitors, who noticed an unusual small bruise on the baby's forehead. Initially, Nicholls claimed that the injury resulted from the newborn 'lifting her head and accidentally banging her chin.' However, subsequent medical examinations painted a far more troubling picture.

Medical professionals uncovered multiple severe injuries, including three isolated brain injuries, which experts indicated were likely caused by forceful impacts or events that could not be precisely quantified. Additionally, a fracture was discovered through the neck of the baby's left 6th and 7th ribs, which was believed to have resulted from forceful squeezing, pushing the spine inward into the chest cavity by approximately 4 centimeters.

Further injuries included bruises on the back of the baby's left thigh, the outer sides of both buttocks, and a small bruise on the forehead. The medical team also observed that the infant had experienced significant poor weight gain and jaundice, conditions linked to the fact that Nicholls was feeding the baby only twice within a 24-hour period.

Police investigations traced back to January 2021, when Nicholls and her partner were initially arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. During questioning, Nicholls offered multiple explanations for the bruising, claiming they might have been accidental, but she denied any intentional harm. Her partner, who is legally protected from identification, stated that he never witnessed any abuse or saw the injuries, as he was not permitted to change, wash, or feed the baby at the start, with Nicholls allegedly telling him he was 'not doing it right.'

It was established that Nicholls was solely responsible for the baby's care, including feeding and changing. She admitted to being the only parent involved but claimed she did not remember causing the injuries if she was indeed responsible.

Following the investigation, the baby was removed from the care of Nicholls and her partner and placed under social services' supervision. The case highlights the tragic consequences of neglect and abuse, with the court's sentencing reflecting the severity of the harm inflicted on the vulnerable infant.