Mum, 24, accused of allowing death of daughter, 2, ‘at risk if she returns home’ after social media backlash
A MUM accused of allowing her two-year-old daughter's death will be "at risk" if she returns home after facing a huge backlash on social media, a court heard today.
Prosecutors said they opposed Jade Dempsey's release on charges related to her toddler due to the explosive fallout she is facing online.
But the 24-year-old's defence team remained adamant that she is confident of the support of her neighbours and locals in Dungannon, Co .
Two-year-old Ali tragically died in hospital after sustaining serious head injuries earlier this month.
The little girl had been left in the care of her mum's partner, 32-year-old Darren Armstrong - who is accused of the tot's murder and perverting the course of justice.
Dempsey, 24, of Sycamore Drive in the town, faces charges of perverting the course of justice and causing or allowing the death of a child.
As the mother-of-two fights for bail, Crown counsel Kate McKay highlighted the concerns for her safety due to social media comments about the case.
She said: "The view of local police in Dungannon is that were this lady to return to that address, there could potentially be trouble arising from it."
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The court were told that the risk of returning to her home address could not be managed and that efforts to secure alternative accommodation have failed so far.
Discussing the "vitriol" on social media, her defence said: ";People are making assumptions, then making lurid and wild threats which are most likely baseless."
"She is very confident of the support of her neighbours, and is aware they held a balloon release ceremony where there were prayers not just for Ali Jayden, but also Ms Dempsey," the barrister continued.
"She is confident they know her to be a good mother and will support her."
Bail was opposed on the grounds that Dempsey poses a flight risk as she is originally from the Republic of Ireland.
Her bail application was again adjourned while authorities make further attempts to find an appropriate address.
LIES
The 24-year-old was also said to be desperate to see her son - after she lied to the police about Ali's death because she feared he would also be taken from her.
Paramedics were called to Armstrong's home at Park Avenue, Dungannon on August 6, who rushed Ali to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where she was pronounced dead.
Dempsey initially told police she had gone to his house to return a bank card, leaving Ali and her one-year-old son with Armstrong while she retraced her steps to look for a dropped child's dummy.
She claimed that during the search her partner phoned to say the girl had stopped breathing.
When she ran back to the house, Armstrong said Ali fell and struck her head against a fireplace after being hit with a toy by her younger brother.
As Dempsey mounted an application for bail, prosecutor Mrs McKay revealed that her co-accused had been prohibited from unsupervised contact with the children.
The prosecutor said: "It turns out that the initial version of events Ms Dempsey gave to police was in fact completely wrong.
"She indicated that she had not told the full truth but was going to tell police exactly what had happened on August 6."
"GET AN AMBULANCE"
Dempsey then claimed she actually planned to travel to that day to buy a buggy, leaving her son and daughter with Armstrong in contravention of social services care arrangements.
But on her way to the bus station, he informed her by phone that Ali was no longer breathing.
Counsel submitted: "She (said she) screamed at him to get an ambulance.
"At one point he told her that he had used water on the child, and in fact her hair was wet when the ambulance called at the house."
It was claimed that neighbours had heard unsettled children crying and screaming in the property.
In a reference to Dempsey's son, Armstrong also allegedly sent her a text message saying "he's melting my head".
The court heard she recognised that her planned trip to Belfast went against specific requests to keep her children away from Armstrong.
Mrs McKay continued: "She admitted that she lied in her initial account to police because she was afraid of social services taking (her son) off her."
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Dempsey is set to seek permission to attend her daughter's funeral, expected to be held at a family plot in once all examinations are completed.
The release of Ali's body has been delayed after Armstrong requested a defence post mortem.
