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 Ali Jayden Doyle's death due to the explosive fallout she is facing online.
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."
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."
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.