A CHILD MINDER has been cleared of causing injury to two boys in her care.
Alison Burt-Ryan, 46, of Newport, was found not guilty of two counts of assault by beating, relating to claims over two incidents in January and March.
Cwmbran Magistrates Court heard that Mrs Burt-Ryan, who had become a childminder in 2001, was alleged to have slammed a child into a chair and dragged another up the stairs by his wrists.
During her evidence Mrs Burt-Ryan told the court that her pet parrot caused one of the children to become agitated and as a result he stopped chewing his food.
“I have a parrot. She squawked about five to eight times. It made him jump. It scared him to death. He was absolutely petrified and he was screaming,” she said.
“He had stopped chewing as there was food in his mouth.”
Defending, Catherine Flint asked the defendant if she was able to yank the boy from his chair, as alleged by her former employee Donna Stitt.
“I’m just not strong enough,” said Mrs Burt-Ryan.
However, Rhys Thomas of the prosecuting counsel, asked her why she didn’t record the incidents in the accident book at the time.
“You didn’t record the information of the two boys?” asked Mr Thomas.
“No, but I didn’t hide it. I know now that accident books protect childminders and not just children. I will never make that mistake again,” said Mrs Burt-Ryan.
District Judge Richard Williams found Mrs Burt-Ryan not guilty of both charges.
Explaining his verdict her said: "There are a number of possibilities. That the witness read into and misinterpreted something she saw, or was pursuing an agenda of her own.
“I cannot resolve all the questions of fact in this case.”
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