A BOY aged three was deliberately burnt with an iron then forced to wait 30 hours for medical treatment.
The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered a series of injuries to his forearm and elbow at a property in north Hull.
A court heard he would have "cried out in pain".
Doctors who eventually examined the wounds described "V-shaped burns" that were consistent with contact with the flat face of an iron.
An expert said the iron must have come into contact with the child's skin "at least twice".
The child's 30-year-old mother and 27-year-old stepfather, were both jailed for eight months at Hull Crown Court after admitting child neglect.
A judge said they cared more about their own fate than that of the child.
The court heard that prosecutors could not prove which one of them had hurt the boy, who was three years and ten months old at the time, but the judge said he was satisfied one of them had.
Sentencing the pair, who appeared in the dock together after being remanded in custody overnight, Judge Mark Bury said the boy was "deliberately burnt on his arm in at least two, possibly three separate areas".
He told the pair: "One of you did that. Both of you know who did. Neither of you are saying – indeed, you have not been honest or forthcoming at any stage of these proceedings.
"When it happened, he would have cried out in pain."
The injuries came to the attention of the authorities when the youngster was taken to a nursery and said he had hurt his arm.
Patricia Doherty, for the stepfather, recalled the boy's comments on arrival at the nursery. But Judge Bury cut her short, saying: "Don't take the court for a fool, Mrs Doherty.
"This was not an accident with an iron, so I'm not going to be very impressed if you say to me it was an accident."
Concerned staff alerted social services and the boy was eventually treated at Hull Royal Infirmary.
His physical injuries have since healed, the court heard.
The pair gave differing accounts about how the injuries were caused. They initially made denials when interviewed under caution.
The university-educated mother later said the boy had been "playing" with an iron, while the stepfather said he may have been hurt while "play-fighting" and called it a "friction burn".
David Godfrey, for the woman, said she "deeply regrets" what had happened. She occasionally sobbed in the dock, while her partner sat with his head down and his brow furrowed.
Before they were led away, the judge said: "Your concern is not for him but for yourselves.
"You put yourselves first and him second – there's no other reasonable explanation for failing to seek medical help."
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