She administered a non-prescribed remedy, specifically the laxative lactulose, which brought about his growth and mobility to be affected and led to him being admitted to hospital.
Menhinick, of Aberdeen, then consented to remedies, procedures and operations on the kid which she knew had been pointless, “all to his everlasting disfigurement, everlasting impairment and to the hazard of his life”, the indictment stated.
She was convicted in February following a trial on the Excessive Court docket in Aberdeen.
Menhinick was jailed for seven years when she appeared for sentencing on the Excessive Court docket in Glasgow on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Psychiatric report ordered for lady who harmed youngster with laxatives
Sentencing Menhinick, Choose Woman Drummond stated it was “past understanding” why anyone would wish to inflict such extreme hurt and struggling on a toddler over quite a few years.
She stated: “The quantity of laxatives he was being given by you had been such that at occasions he would have floppy episodes the place he turned limp and needed to be resuscitated.
“You agreed that he ought to bear intrusive and dangerous operations figuring out that these had been pointless and that the necessity for them had been attributable to you.
“You had been an auxiliary nurse and knew what you had been doing. Even as soon as admitted to hospital you continued to provide him harmful ranges of laxatives.
“Why anyone would wish to inflict such extreme hurt and struggling, endangering the lifetime of a younger youngster on a number of events over a interval of years is past understanding.”
Woman Drummond stated that medical doctors had been left “baffled” about why the kid’s situation didn’t enhance regardless of remedy.
One of many medical doctors who gave proof within the case described the boy as being “emaciated” on his final admission to hospital.
The choose informed Menhinick she had abused individuals’s belief, and that her sick remedy of the boy has had a “devastating influence on his life” and has left him with extreme bodily scarring.
The court docket heard that in the course of the trial jurors heard proof that it’s seemingly the boy might not obtain his full development potential, and is predicted to have psychological difficulties.
The ill-treatment occurred on varied events when the boy was aged between three and 6 at an tackle in Aberdeen, at Royal Aberdeen Youngsters’s Hospital and elsewhere.
The court docket heard {that a} psychiatric report by Dr Forrest stated that in his opinion Menhinick suffers from psychological issues and a character dysfunction however doesn’t require hospital remedy.
Woman Drummond stated that Menhinick’s motivations for her actions are “unclear”.
Frances Connor, representing Menhinick, stated that the 52-year-old has suffered from quite a few psychological and bodily well being points from an early age.
She stated that in accordance with a danger evaluation, Menhinick doesn’t pose a danger to the general public.
Ms Connor informed the court docket that the 52-year-old is bed-bound, and added: “It’s seemingly that Ms Menhinick will in all probability undergo greater than the conventional individual will in custody on account of her situations.”
Menhinick, who appeared in court docket in a wheelchair, sobbed because the sentence was delivered on Tuesday.
The kid can’t be named for authorized causes.
