BY CLAIRE SENEVIRATNA

æcseneviratna@london.newsquest.co.uk

Ealing Council is fighting claims that it could have done more to protect a two year old boy who was born with amphetamine in his blood and suffered permanent brain damage at the hands of his parents.

A jury at Isleworth Crown Court heard on Friday last week how Mason Warda was found to have suffered severe bleeding into the brain probably by violent shaking or a direct blow. All four forearm bones and a thigh bone were fractured and his wrists and elbow had been twisted and pulled.

His mother Jessie Hodd, 20, was found guilty of eight charges of child cruelty and neglecting to get medical attention for her child between April and August 1998. She was remanded in custody until sentencing.

Mason's father, Benjamin Warda, 18 was found guilty of one charge of child cruelty but five other charges against him will remain on file.

Social workers, health visitors and his own GP all missed the signs of damage despite repeated complaints from neighbours in Eccleston Road, Ealing about the constant screaming and the arguments between his parents.

One neighbour who does not wish to be named said: 'It's been a very distressing case for all the neighbours. We complained several times but nothing was done.

'Social services should have got involved much earlier and put the baby on the 'at risk' register as soon as doctors found the drug in his blood stream.'

Mason was born at Ealing Hospital in April 1998, and after suffering fits he was found to have traces of amphetamine in his system.

After a period of intensive care, Mason was allowed home and hospital staff warned his parents of the 'necessity of follow-up appointments.' He never attended any of those appointments.

Dodd did take Mason to her GP six weeks after his birth. But Dr Ramulu Dasoja of a surgery in Ealing Broadway failed to spot any sign of abuse. He refused to make any comment about his conduct.

Only the family's health visitor, Joan Kangalee, raised concerns about facial bruising and noted that his head was 'lagging.'

On August 11 at only four months old, Mason was admitted to hospital with severe brain injuries and a CT scan revealed three separate episodes of brain damage caused by trauma of a non-accidental nature.

Consultant paediatrician, Colin Michie told police he had never seen such a bad case in which the infant had survived.

Mason is now a quadriplegic, with very limited motor skills. He has no speech and cannot even babble. Fed by a tube, the two-year-old's level of development is equivalent to that of an eight or nine-month-old.

In a statement, the council said it will launch an enquiry into the case. Ealing Area Child Protection Committee will examine the actions of all agencies involved and produce a summary of its findings once the parents have been sentenced.

A spokeswoman for the Child Protection Unit refused to comment

BY CLAIRE SENEVIRATNA

æcseneviratna@london.newsquest.co.uk

Ealing Council is fighting claims that it could have done more to protect a two year old boy who was born with amphetamine in his blood and suffered permanent brain damage at the hands of his parents.

A jury at Isleworth Crown Court heard on Friday last week how Mason Warda was found to have suffered severe bleeding into the brain probably by violent shaking or a direct blow. All four forearm bones and a thigh bone were fractured and his wrists and elbow had been twisted and pulled.

His mother Jessie Hodd, 20, was found guilty of eight charges of child cruelty and neglecting to get medical attention for her child between April and August 1998. She was remanded in custody until sentencing.

Mason's father, Benjamin Warda, 18, was found guilty of one charge of child cruelty but five other charges against him will remain on file.

Social workers, health visitors and his own GP all missed the signs of damage despite repeated complaints from neighbours in Eccleston Road, Ealing about the constant screaming and the arguments between his parents.

One neighbour who does not wish to be named said: 'It's been a very distressing case for all the neighbours. We complained several times but nothing was done.

'Social services should have got involved much earlier and put the baby on the 'at risk' register as soon as doctors found the drug in his blood stream.'

Mason was born at Ealing Hospital in April 1998, and after suffering fits he was found to have traces of amphetamine in his system.

After a period of intensive care, Mason was allowed home and hospital staff warned his parents of the 'necessity of follow-up appointments.' He never attended any of those appointments.

Dodd did take Mason to her GP six weeks after his birth. But Dr Ramulu Dasoja of a surgery in Ealing Broadway failed to spot any sign of abuse. He refused to make any comment about his conduct.

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