MICHAEL QUILTY AND STACEY BRIDE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN CREWE AND ROCHDALE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Crewe and Rochdale, two individuals have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the severe abuse of a young child. The incident came to light after the child, whose identity remains protected by law, was brought to Leighton Hospital in Crewe in February of 2010, suffering from multiple injuries that indicated a pattern of sustained and brutal mistreatment.

Stacey Bride, aged 24 and originally from Rochdale, was sentenced to three years in prison. She was found guilty of neglecting her duty to seek medical attention for the injured child, who had suffered fractures to both arms and a leg, along with bruising to her face and head, and scalds on her left foot. Although Bride was cleared of directly causing these injuries, the court found her guilty of failing to act responsibly by not taking the child to a doctor or hospital for treatment. During her sentencing, Bride was visibly emotional, crying as she received her punishment.

Michael Quilty, aged 26, also from Rochdale, received a significantly harsher sentence of six years imprisonment. The court found Quilty guilty of assaulting the child during what was described as a period of 'sadistic ill treatment.' The injuries, which included bruising, multiple fractures, and a torn upper lip consistent with a side-swipe, were discovered after the child's hospital visit. Medical examinations revealed four fractures to her left arm and two breaks to her leg, necessitating surgery and the application of a body cast. The injuries suggested a pattern of ongoing abuse over several weeks, with at least five separate incidents causing significant pain and loss of function.

Quilty denied charges of perverting the course of justice and assaulting the child, but the jury convicted him after a trial earlier this month. Evidence presented in court indicated that Quilty had caused scalding injuries to the child's foot and was responsible for at least one of the fractures. Despite his previous conviction for affray in 2006, Quilty remained stoic during sentencing, showing no visible remorse.

Both defendants had admitted to child neglect earlier in the proceedings, acknowledging that they failed to seek medical help. They offered various explanations for the child's injuries, claiming she had fallen from a high chair and burned her foot on a gas fire. However, medical experts challenged these claims, emphasizing that the injuries were inconsistent with such explanations and pointed to deliberate harm.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Woodward emphasized the severity of the abuse, describing it as more than mere neglect or indifference. He stated, “It was clear that over a period of weeks, this child was subjected to many separate injuries inflicted on at least five occasions. Many of these injuries caused loss of function, immobility, and extreme pain. The suffering was compounded by continued infliction and lack of treatment. This child's ordeal goes far beyond callousness; it amounts to serious cruelty.”

Detective Sergeant Julie Jackson of Crewe’s public protection unit expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, saying, “We are pleased that they have been sentenced and that serious harm caused to a child has been acknowledged and justice has been served. This sends a strong message that such matters will be taken very seriously by the authorities.”