Caroline Thomson, who admitted assaulting a four-week-old baby causing permanent brain damage and blindness, has launched an online rant after being released from prison, insisting she 'never did it'. Thomson was sentenced to nine years in 2020 but had her term reduced to six on appeal. She has now taken to Facebook to deny the offence, using profanity-laced posts to attack her critics.
Details of the Crime
The baby boy sustained horrific injuries including fractured ribs and toes, a broken wrist, a detached retina and bleeding on his brain after being assaulted over a six-week period in 2018. The attack left him brain damaged and blind in one eye. Consultant ophthalmologist Jennifer Ann Gillen told the trial she had never encountered such a detached retina in a young infant and indicated the injury would have required blunt-force trauma.
At the time of Thomson's sentencing in February 2020, the High Court in Glasgow heard the then two-year-old child was unable to speak or walk, though he could crawl. Medical professionals cautioned the full extent of his permanent injuries would remain unclear until he reached primary school age.
Online Rant and Denial
Thomson, who has been operating under the names Caroline Drennan and Caroline Anne on Facebook, maintained she couldn't give 'two f**ks' what people think after serving her sentence. Despite pleading guilty to the charge, Thomson went on to claim online that she is innocent. In one Facebook post, she wrote: 'You f*****g stupid bunch of c***s. You know f**k all. You believe what the f**k you want. I don't give two f**ks no more. I know I never did it.'
She added: 'If I did what they said I did, where were the bruises? If I did what they said I did, he would have been black and blue. You know f**k all. You will all do soon, trust me.' In another post, she claimed her lawyer took a deal without her knowledge: 'I never pleaded lol. My f*****g lawyer took a deal because they f****d me over. I never knew (until) two days later what the deal was.'
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
During sentencing, Lady Rae told her: 'What is particularly concerning in this case is that, despite your plea of guilty, you take no responsibility for what you did. Indeed you deny your guilt, blaming a two year old for some of the injuries. Evidence from medical professionals excludes such a possibility. It is clear, therefore that you have no remorse for what you did. Your conduct toward this child was deplorable.'
Lady Rae additionally cautioned the offender that her sentence would have reached 10 years had it not been for her guilty plea. Thomson managed to have her prison term reduced from nine years to six on appeal in July 2020. Appeal judges Lord Turnbull and Lord Glennie lowered Thomson's sentence following submissions from defence lawyer Wendy Hay. Thomson's legal representative argued that her sentencing was longer than that of people who had committed similar offences. Lord Turnbull stated: 'It can been seen the sentence passed on the appellant in this case can be seen to be excessive.'
Prosecutor's Remarks
Prosecutor Kath Harper stated that Thomson's attempts to blame a two-year-old child or claim she dropped the baby were 'inconsistent with the medical findings'. The claims mirror Thomson's earlier efforts to reject culpability for the infant's injuries during her sentencing.
Caroline Thomson was approached for comment by the Daily Record.
