Gwendolyn J. Ray, 24 admits to beating infant son, causing critical injuries/Sentenced to Eight years in prison

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Woman admits to beating infant son, causing critical injuries

By John Futty
The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday May 30, 2012 7:23 PM

A West Side woman who beat her 5-week-old son nearly to death pleaded guilty today to one count of felonious assault.

Gwendolyn J. Ray, 24, of 4541 Belvedere Park is eligible for probation but could be sent to prison for eight years when she is sentenced by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Julie M. Lynch on July 3.

Paramedics were called to Ray’s condominium at 2:43 a.m. on Nov 11 on a report that the infant, Isaiah, was having trouble breathing.

Doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital determined that the child had “multiple life-threatening injuries,” including a broken back, bleeding on the brain, broken ribs, lung damage and damaged arteries in his neck, Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Rausch said.

Ray told police that she was “stressed and upset” because everyone else in the home was trying to raise the child, Rausch said. Using a doll, Ray demonstrated for officers how she picked up her son by his legs and slammed him against the wooden frame of a couch.

Rausch said the child spent two months in the hospital and “will have issues the rest of his life.”

Despite the plea agreement, she said prosecutors reserve the right to bring additional charges if the injuries ever result in the boy’s death.

Isaiah, now nearly 8 months old, was placed in foster care by Franklin County Children Services.

Ray pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in January, but a Netcare psychologist determined that she was not mentally ill at the time of the offense and “was able to know the wrongfulness of her actions.”

Ray did not speak at the hearing other than to tell the judge that she understands her rights. Defense attorney Mark Collins said his client was diagnosed with “very high postnatal stress” and was prescribed medication but hadn’t starting taking it at the time of the incident.

Gwendolyn J. Ray, 24, of 4541 Belvedere Park is eligible for probation but could be sent to prison for eight years when she is sentenced by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Julie M. Lynch on July 3.

8 flipping years for beating a 5 week old baby.

Sick people like this need to protect themselves from ever getting pregnant in the first place. This poor child, only 5 weeks old and now he will have problems for the rest of his life.

A Franklin County judge gave a West Side mother the maximum prison sentence today for slamming her 5-week-old baby against a couch and breaking his back.

Calling Gwendolyn J. Ray’s actions “horrific,” Common Pleas Judge Julie M. Lynch sentenced the 24-year-old to eight years in prison for the injuries she caused to Isaiah Ray on Nov. 11.

“You tortured that baby,” Lynch told her. “If society accepts that ... then we’re barbarians.”

Ray, of 4541 Belvedere Park, pleaded guilty on May 30 to one count of felonious assault. She had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in January, but a psychologist determined that she was not mentally ill at the time of the offense.

Her attorney, Mark Collins, said Ray had been molested as a child and “just couldn’t deal with being a parent.” He said she has mental-health issues.

Ray made a brief apology as one of her sisters sobbed behind her in the courtroom.

Lynch said the latest report from the baby’s doctors says that the child, now eight months old, probably will be a paraplegic. Besides a broken back, his injuries included bleeding on the brain, broken ribs, lung damage and damaged arteries in the neck. Ray told police she picked the baby up by his legs and swung him against a couch.

Ray could have been sentenced to probation.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]