Girl (3) died in hospital after mother 'flipped' and beat her

Girl (3) died in hospital after mother 'flipped' and beat her

By Anne Lucey


Thursday May 13 2010

A mother beat her toddler so badly that the child died in hospital three days later with massive bruising and a swollen brain, a court was told yesterday.

Tralee Circuit Criminal Court was told how the three-year-old girl had 31 separate areas of bruising around the head and neck.

The woman, a Roma asylum seeker, claimed she had "flipped" on the night in question after the little girl had soiled herself in bed.

Medics later found dozens of bruises on the child's limbs. A post-mortem attributed the cause of death to swelling of the brain and bleeding of the brain.

Monika Paczkowska (34), of Fountain Court, Tralee, admitted wilful ill treatment of her daughter Sefora Kycwak in a manner likely to cause injury or suffering at Killeen Woods in the town on August 2 and 3, 2005.

A charge of manslaughter had been withdrawn.

Deirdre Murphy, prosecuting, told the court: "The ill treatment of a three-and-a-half year old Sefora Kycwak led to her death at the hands of her mother in whose care she was at the time."

Ms Murphy also told the court how Sefora was born prematurely and had spent some months in hospital, in Holles Street and in Kerry General, before being discharged home to Killeen Woods.

Her father and mother were married and at the time of the incident there were a number of other children in the house, including step-children.

Her mother never had a good relationship with Sefora and frequently slapped her, pinched her cheek and pulled her hair.

Neighbours who were called to the house on August 3 shortly before 1am found Sefora lying lifeless on top of the stairs and her mother hitting her in an attempt to revive her, Ms Murphy added.

Scars

The accused said the child had vomited after drinking cola and had fallen. Doctors at Kerry General Hospital found the child was suffering from brain bleed and they found extensive bruising.

They did not accept the mother's account that the injuries had been the result of an accident and alerted gardai.

Sefora died three days later. Assistant state pathologist Dr Margot Bolster noted 31 areas of bruising to the head and neck along with dozens of bruises to the limbs and body.

She also found older scars on the child's body.

Gardai later found soiled pyjamas and vomit in the house and the DPP directed that charges be brought.

Detective Sergeant Fearghal Pattwell told the court that gardai had originally objected to bail when the accused first appeared in court, but this had been granted in the High Court and Paczkowska later absconded.

Almost five years later -- in January of this year -- she was arrested in London and extradited here, Det Sgt Pattwell added.

Det Sgt Pattwell told defence counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley that Paczskowska was a mother of five with three different fathers and had been married twice.

She was now in a relationship with another man with whom she had another child two years ago.

Mr Vaughan Buckley, who asked that his client be given a suspended sentence, said she accepted that she "flipped" on the night of the attack but she hadn't planned to do so and she didn't want to kill her child.

He added that Paczskowska, who is originally from Poland, still very much grieved the death of her child and apologised for her misbehaviour.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned the case for sentencing until Wednesday next, saying he needed time to consider psychiatric and post-mortem reports. He remanded the accused in custody.

- Anne Lucey

Irish Independent

FFS! Apologised for her misbehaviour
Well, that's ok then!

I know. You couldn't make this stuff up!

Mum charged over killing of daughter (3)

By Anne Lucey


Friday January 22 2010

A 34-year-old mother was brought before a special sitting of a court last night charged with the unlawful killing of her three-year-old daughter four years ago.

Monika Paczkowska, of Fountain Court in Tralee, Co Kerry, was charged at Killorglin District Court with the unlawful killing of Sefora Kycwak at 55 Killeen Woods, Tralee, on or about August 5, 2005.

Detective Sergeant Fearghal Patwell told Judge James O'Connor that bench warrants issued for Ms Paczkowska's arrest in 2006 and 2007 had now been executed.

Ms Paczkowska -- a member of the Polish Roma community -- had made no reply to the charge at the garda station in Tralee earlier that day, the detective said.

A Polish interpreter was sworn in at the start of last night's proceedings.

Inspector Derek Smart applied to remand the woman to Limerick Prison to appear again on January 27 at Tralee District Court.

David Ramsey, solicitor for Ms Paczkowska, said he would not be objecting to the garda application for remand in custody.

Custody

The DPP had already directed the matter be returnable to the Circuit Court, Insp Smart said.

Judge O'Connor remanded the accused in custody and extended time for the book of evidence to be presented.

He also asked the interpreter if Ms Paczkowska understood fully the charge facing her and the interpreter confirmed that "she understands she is charged with killing her child".

Ms Paczkowska was arrested in London on foot of a European arrest warrant some days ago.

Gardai from Tralee travelled to London and escorted her to Kerry yesterday.

- Anne Lucey

Irish Independent

Court hears child died after mother beat her
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Tralee Circuit Criminal Court has heard that a woman beat her three-year-old daughter to such an extent, after she soiled the bed, that she died in hospital days later of brain injuries.

The child also had dozens of bruises on her limbs and a post mortem examination attributed the cause of death to swelling of the brain and bleeding of the brain, the court was told.

34-year-old Monika Paczkowska of Fountain Court, Tralee, pleaded guilty to the wilful ill-treatment of her daughter Sefora Kycwak in a manner likely to cause injury or suffering at her home in Tralee on 2-3 August 2005.

A charge of manslaughter was withdrawn.

Deirdre Murphy for the prosecution told Judge Carroll Moran the charge to which the accused pleaded under the Children's Act 2001 provided for a broad range of offences and this was at the most serious level.

Ms Murphy outlined to the court how Sefora was born prematurely and spent some months in Holles Street and Kerry General hospitals before being discharged home.

Neighbours who were called to the house in the early hours of 2 August found Sefora lying lifeless on the stairs and her mother hitting her in an attempt to revive her, Ms Murphy outlined.

The accused said her daughter had vomited after drinking cola and had fallen.

After being transferred to Kerry General Hospital by ambulance, doctors found the child was suffering from a brain bleed and they found extensive bruising.

They did not accept the mother's account that the injuries could be inflicted accidentally and they alerted gardaí.

Sefora died three days later.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster noted 31 areas of bruising to the head and neck along with dozens of bruises to the limbs and body.

She told the court that she also found older scars on the child's body.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Fearghal Pattwell said the accused was interviewed at Tralee Garda Station and did not participate in four of the six interviews, at one occasion throwing herself on the floor.

Gardaí had objected to bail but the accused was granted bail in the High Court and later absconded, Det Sgt Pattwell said.

Almost five years later, in January of this year she was arrested in London and extradited here, Det Sgt Pattwell said.

Paczskowska is from a Roma gypsy family originally from Poland and had come to Ireland as an asylum seeker.

Det Pattwell told the court that the accused had five children with three different fathers and had been married twice.

She was now in a relationship with another man with whom she had another child now aged two.

Denis Vaughan Buckley for the defendant said his client had been examined by a consultant psychiatrist and claimed she had been raped by four men at the age of 14, and had been physically abused by fathers of her children.

Mr Vaughan Buckley said his client accepted that she 'flipped' on the night in question but she did not want to kill her child.

Mr Buckley said Paczskowska was a person of good character who had a terrible life and was now in a relationship with a nice man who was very decent to her and very supportive.

Counsel asked for a suspended sentence, pointing out that his client was currently in protective custody in Limerick Prison and that situation would continue until whatever sentence imposed had been served.

He said Paczskowska still very much grieved the death of her child and apologised for her misbehaviour.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned the case for sentencing until next Wednesday saying he needed time to consider psychiatric and post mortem examination reports.

He remanded the accused in custody.

THIS IS THE REMORSEFUL MOTHER
Monika Paczkowska
Is in protective custody in Limerick Prison

Where was the protection for her daughter

Misbehaviour? FFS! She beat her child so badly the child died and she calls that misbehaviour? That woman should never be allowed out of jail if that's how she thinks about murdering a child because no child would be safe with her.

Did I read that right? Apologized for misbehavior? So that's supposed to make it all better now after she beat her child so bad that it died? OMG!!!!!!!!! un-freakin-believable!!! So then it goes on to have a couple of more kids? She doesn't even like them! I think she needs her legs sewed shut and she needs to be fixed where she can't reproduce anymore because she doesn't deserve to have the gift of children! God this makes me so mad!!!