A nursery manager who bit a young child's arm and then attempted to cover up the incident has been spared a prison sentence. Amanda Byrne, 57, sank her teeth into the boy's arm at the now-closed Little Stars Nursery in Erith, southeast London, on November 24 last year.
The Incident and Cover-Up
When the child's parents picked him up at the end of the day, they were told their son had bitten himself in frustration. However, the following day, they received a call from the nursery's safeguarding lead, informing them that a member of staff had reported the manager for causing the marks.
Byrne, of Erith, pleaded guilty to assault at Bromley Magistrates' Court last month. She was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, and ordered to pay £500 in compensation.
Parents' Ordeal
The boy's parents, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described the ordeal as 'putting them through hell'. His father said: 'We were absolutely mortified, just in a state of shock that somebody with that responsibility would do that.'
The boy's mother added: 'We put our trust in her. She was somebody we had quite a lot of respect for, so when we found out it was Mandy we were just gobsmacked.'
Aftermath and Closure
The incident was reported to police and regulator Ofsted, which suspended the nursery from operating on November 26, two days after the incident. The nursery never re-opened after the provider resigned its registration.
The boy's father expressed disappointment with the sentence, saying: 'We both feel that justice hasn't been served. It's put us through hell. This is one of the most difficult patches we've had in our lives, dealing with this.'
Despite their distress, the parents expressed gratitude to the whistle-blowing staff members. The father added: 'If it wasn't for them, we would never have known, and she would still be looking after kids.'
