Father whose 19-month-old daughter died alone in her cot after he abandoned her to watch TV and play video games during ‘all-nighter’ with child’s mother is jailed for 14 months
- Kiera Conroy was found lifeless by her parents at her home in North Lanarkshire
- Michael Conroy, 27, and Kirsty Boyle, 24, left her alone during ‘an all nighter’
- Boyle faced same neglect charge as Conroy but had her not guilty plea accepted
Tragic Kiera Conroy was found lifeless by her parents Michael Conroy (pictured), 27, and Kirsty Boyle, 24, five days before Christmas.
A father who admitted neglecting his baby daughter who died alone in her cot after not being fed for almost 24 hours has been jailed for 14 months.
Tragic Kiera Conroy was found lifeless by her parents Michael Conroy, 27, and Kirsty Boyle, 24, at their home in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, just five days before Christmas.
Conroy and Boyle had stayed up through the previous night watching TV and playing video games before sleeping for hours, leaving the toddler alone in another room.
Boyle had faced the same neglect charge as her partner but had her not guilty plea accepted by prosecutors.
She had discovered Kiera at around 5pm on December 20, 2017, while getting ready to go out.
An investigation revealed the youngster had been fed four chicken nuggets and spaghetti hoops before being left without food for 21 hours.
A doctor said bags of rubbish lying around the filthy flat were a ‘suffocation hazard’ and that coming into contact with dirty nappies could lead to a bacterial infection.
The medic raised further concern that an ‘inquisitive child’ such as Kiera could have been left with cuts had they touched cans which were scattered in the property.
Conroy admitted wilfully causing or procuring his daughter to be ill-treated, neglected and exposed in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury to health at Airdrie Sheriff Court.
He was jailed by Sheriff Fergus Thomson who branded the case ‘tragic’.
Paul Belardo, defending, said: ‘Clearly this is a difficult and harrowing matter and the situation with the young child losing her life is nothing short of tragic.
‘Michael Conroy and his partner require to live with that loss and he will now carry a conviction and he accepts his care of Kiera fell quite significantly short of what you would expect.
Tragic: Kiera Conroy died alone in her cot at home in the North Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge
‘This will weigh heavily on Mr Conroy for the rest of his life and no matter what happens to him in court, nothing will impact him as much as what has already happened.
‘He is prepared to accept any disposal the court deems appropriate but I would ask that the court, taking in the whole circumstances of the case, takes a step back from custody.’
Kiera’s sudden death was initially treated as unexplained.
Boyle later told police: ‘We were both shattered. We did an all nighter. It’s a bad habit.’
She said herself and Conroy had been up until 6.30am, watching a box set on TV and playing games on their phones.
Boyle said she didn’t hear Kiera at that point and ‘assumed she was asleep’ but the youngster was found ‘very white’ with sickness around her mouth.
The charge stated Conroy had failed to provide Kiera with adequate nourishment and fluids, left her alone and unattended for excessive periods and failed to provide suitable living conditions.
Kiera’s father Michael Conroy (right), 27, admitted neglect at Airdrie Sheriff Court – while her mother Kirsty Boyle (left), 24, pleaded not guilty to the same charge, which was accepted
He also admitted causing his daughter to be exposed to street valium pills.
Tablets were found within Kiera’s travel cot but there was no suggestion that she had taken any.
Sheriff Thomson said: ‘This is a tragic situation for all involved and I have listened carefully to what has been said on your behalf.
‘Taking account of the fact that you have previously been the subject of a community payback order which was breached, with sadness, I have concluded that no method of disposal other than custody is appropriate.’
The sheriff told Conroy he would have been sentenced to 18 months had he not pled guilty.
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