Baby suffered "significant pain" for three days because couple didn't follow doctor's orders to take him to A&E 'immediately'

 Gemma Warn outside Grimsby Crown Court

A mum and her partner let her five-month-old baby endure three days of "significant pain" after failing to follow doctor's orders to take him to A&E 'immediately.'

Gemma Warne, and her partner at the time, Lee Chambers, took the little boy to the doctor after he began crying when he was picked up and when his shoulder was touched.

They had been told to take him to accident and emergency immediately on August 14, 2015 but the pair claim they "did not hear" their doctor's instructions.

They only did take the boy - who had suffered a fractured arm - three days later when they noticed his arm was 'hanging.'

Their actions were branded 'unforgivable' by a judge, who jailed them both for four months.

Lee Chambers

Warne's own barrister said her parenting skills were 'inadequate'.

The baby endured more than three days of "significant pain" before the couple eventually took him to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital during the late afternoon of August 17, 2015.

Injury was caused to the baby's arm by accident when Warne bent down whilst carrying him.

He is now in long term foster care, reports the Grimsby Telegraph .

Warne, 29, formerly of Grimsby, and Chambers, 37, of Ulceby, said they "did not hear" their doctor's instructions to take the child for treatment.

Prosecuting, Craig Lowe, told Grimsby Crown Court Warne and Chambers took the baby to the doctors after he began crying when he was picked up and when his shoulder was touched.

He also said Warne and Chambers initially claimed they had never been told to attend accident and emergency.

"Gemma Warne said she was told to monitor the arm," he said.

"She said over the weekend there was no change but on Monday morning she noticed his fingers were puffy and his arm swollen.

"Lee Chambers also said he was told to monitor the arm and he said the baby appeared to be normal.

"He said on August 17 he noticed the baby's arm was hanging."

Mitigating for Warne, Charlotte Baines, said: "The defendants did initially seek medical help.

"They took the baby to Immingham Medical Centre because at that time the doctor's surgery was not due to open until the afternoon.

"The medical centre told them they could not deal with the baby because he was under six months old and advised them to see their GP and they did do that.

"They didn't go to hospital because they did not hear what the GP had said to them about going to accident and emergency for an x-ray.

"The baby was whiney and whinging but suffering from colic."

Miss Baines added that Warne had been living chaotically and said it was clear her parenting skills were "inadequate."

Warne also suffers with depression and anxiety and had a heroin addiction for six or seven years.

Mitigating for Chambers, Katherine Goddard, said that he was not on drugs at the time of the incident and also did not hear the advice given to him by the GP.

"These were two adults with numerous difficulties of their own caring for three children," she said.

"This was short term neglect against pressures of family life."

Judge Mark Bury condemned Warne and Chambers' behaviour, saying that neither of them had provided an acceptable explanation.

"He would have been in obvious pain," he said.

"This was a very serious injury to a vulnerable young child.

"It would have caused him to scream out, it would have swollen and the baby was reluctant to be picked up.

"I do not accept your explanations that he was okay over the weekend.

"There was significant pain and suffering to the baby which could have been avoided

"You were both told by the GP the baby needed immediate care at hospital and you were both advised to take him to accident and emergency.

"Your failure to do so was unforgiveable. He depended entirely upon you for his health and wellbeing and you both let him down badly."

He jailed both Warne and Chambers for four months.