A nursery manager who bit a young child's arm and then attempted to cover up the incident has avoided a prison sentence. Amanda Byrne, 57, sank her teeth into the boy's arm at the now-closed Little Stars Nursery in Erith, southeast London, on November 24 last year.
When the child's parents came to pick him up at the end of the day, they were told that their son had bitten himself out of frustration. However, the following day, the nursery's safeguarding lead called them to report that a staff member had come forward, alleging that the manager was responsible for the marks.
Byrne, from Erith, pleaded guilty to assault at Bromley Magistrates' Court last month. She was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, and ordered to pay £500 in compensation. The boy's parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the ordeal 'put them through hell'.
Parents' shock and betrayal
The boy's father said: 'We were absolutely mortified, just in a state of shock that somebody with that responsibility would do that.' His mother added: 'We put our trust in her. She was somebody we had quite a lot of respect for, so when we found out it was Mandy we were just gobsmacked.'
The incident was reported to police and Ofsted, the education regulator, which suspended the nursery from operating on November 26, two days after the incident. The nursery never reopened after the provider resigned its registration.
Justice not served, say parents
The boy's father expressed disappointment with the outcome: 'We both feel that justice hasn't been served. It's put us through hell. This is one of the most difficult patches we've had in our lives, dealing with this.' Despite their anguish, they expressed gratitude to the whistle-blowing staff members. He added: 'If it wasn't for them, we would never have known, and she would still be looking after kids.'
