A drug using mum-of-six who dropped her newborn baby fracturing her skull was told she was not fit to care for the child by a judge - but avoided jail and is pregnant again.
Cassandra Ann Amour's one-month-old little girl slipped from her arms and landed on her head, but the mum did not seek medical attention although she texted a friend about it.
The 38-year-old had accepted a charge of engaging in conduct knowing it may result in harm to a child in her care following the incident in May 2018 at her home in Perth, Australia.
Judge Gillian Braddock told the defendant she was not in a fit state to look after the baby and but accepted it was an accident and the mum did not intend to cause harm, reports the Daily Mail.
The judge said rather the incident came about due to intoxication or tiredness, and that she should have sought medical attention to ensure the baby was okay.
Amour was sentenced to 18 months in custody, suspended for two years, when appearing at WA District Court on Wednesday.
"She fell from your arms and that was either because you were intoxicated or because you were too tired and not well enough to be holding the baby," said Judge Braddock.
"What you should have done then is seen that she was checked over, that she saw a medical practitioner as soon as possible."
The judge also accepted that Amour was ashamed at what had happened and took into account the defendant's own difficult upbringing in which she was exposed to drug use and violence.
Judge Braddock said Amour "went off the rails" as a result of her childhood.
The court heard Amour does have a history of offences but this one is the most serious.
