In a case that has sent shockwaves through the medical community, a quick-thinking paediatrician's moment of realisation exposed a mother's horrific campaign of abuse against her own infant.
Dr. Ravi Jayaram recalls the chilling moment he knew something was terribly wrong. He observed the seemingly devoted mother, who appeared to be the picture of concern, yet her eight-month-old baby remained critically ill despite extensive medical intervention.
The truth was more sinister than anyone could have imagined. The mother, 35-year-old Hannah Cobley from Leicestershire, was secretly poisoning her daughter with massive quantities of salt, a deliberate act that nearly proved fatal on multiple occasions.
A Pattern of Deception
Dr. Jayaram's suspicions were first raised when he noticed the child's symptoms only ever manifested in the mother's presence. The baby would suffer from unexplained seizures and dangerously high sodium levels while in hospital, yet would mysteriously stabilise when the mother was not around.
This pattern pointed to one disturbing conclusion: Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare form of abuse where a caregiver, usually a parent, fabricates or induces illness in a child to gain attention and sympathy.
The Shocking Evidence
A covert investigation was launched, with hospital staff secretly monitoring Cobley's behaviour. The evidence they gathered was damning:
- The baby's sodium levels reached life-threatening heights only during the mother's visits
- Medical staff discovered a syringe in Cobley's bag that tested positive for high sodium content
- The child's health improved dramatically when Cobley was banned from the hospital premises
Prosecutors revealed that Cobley had been administering up to 19 times the safe daily amount of salt for an adult, putting her daughter through unnecessary medical procedures and immense suffering.
Justice Served
At Coventry Crown Court, Hannah Cobley was found guilty of administering a noxious substance and causing unnecessary suffering to a child. She was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
Detective Inspector Melanie Smith from Leicestershire Police described the case as "one of the most complex and disturbing" she had ever encountered, praising the medical staff whose vigilance saved the child's life.
The little girl, now recovered from her ordeal, has been adopted by a new family and is reportedly thriving, finally free from the abuse that threatened her very existence.
