A mother who caused life changing injuries to a police officer by throwing her own baby at her has been allowed to walk free from court.
Kirsty Bearfield, 24, launched the child at the policewoman after being told the youngster would have to stay with her father, Hull Live reports.
Officers were originally sent to Hull Royal Infirmary after a report of 'non-accidental' injury to the older child on November 20 2017.
Social services decided the child should be removed from Bearfield's care for the night, even though the injury was not deemed suspicious.
Prosecutor Phillip Evans told Hull Crown Court: "That was news which the defendant did not take well."
Bearfield was seated on a sofa in a waiting area with the baby on her knee, with a detective constable stood in front of her explaining the decision.
Mr Evans said: "Upon hearing this news the defendant, say the Crown, threw [the baby] at the officer with a look of anger on her face."
The officer "put her arms up and caught [the baby] who had been flung towards her," Mr Evans said.
The officer put her head back so the back of the baby's head would not hit her face, and managed to catch the infant without him being injured. He weighed 13kg, or 30lb, the court heard.
The officer was in "immediate discomfort", and after visiting a physiotherapist, was referred to a neurosurgeon at the same hospital, where she had an MRI scan. This revealed a trapped nerve in her lower spine, which required surgery.
The detective was warned there was a risk she would lose the use of her left arm - causing "great anxiety" - but the surgery was successful.
The incident had "exacerbated" a pre-existing medical condition which she may never have known about if it had not happened, the court heard.
But continuing to feel pain, the officer was referred to another specialist who performed further surgery for a "frozen shoulder", a condition which was "exclusively attributable" to Bearfield throwing her baby at her.
She still does not have full use of her left shoulder and has been left with a six-inch scar as "a painful reminder of what happened".
The officer read her victim statement to the court, revealing the "devastating" impact the incident has had. She said she had helped prepare many such statements in her career, but did not realise how difficult it was until writing her own.
The officer has had to give up her hobbies of climbing, swimming, and walking, and has had to have her hair cut short as she can no longer hold a hairdryer. She had also been unable to dress herself.
Restrictions have been put in place on what duties she can perform at work, and what roles she can apply for.
The officer said her daughter had just started primary school at the time of the incident, and she had been unable to hug her when she felt anxious.
"It's heartbreaking as a mother when your child needs comfort and they are asking to be picked up and you have to turn them down," she said. "This is all due to Kirsty Bearsfield."
The officer said for weeks after the incident her daughter feared "I would be stabbed by a bad girl".
She said she constantly thinks about Bearfield and the incident, and said: "I hate that we are forever linked that way as I don't think I will ever forget her or what happened. It made me leave a role I was good at.
"I have nightmares about her chucking her son and what could have happened. She needs to be made to realise you can't behave like that. She robbed me of being able to be a mum to my child and that I can never forgive."
Bearfield, of St James Close, Hedon, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. She had four previous convictions for battery.
The mum was in Hull Live last month after she expressed anger about her two kids being unable to get into the local swimming pool because her youngest is only three.
New guidelines mean a parent can supervise two children if they are both aged between four and eight, or only one if they are three or under.
Steven Garth, mitigating, told Judge Paul Watson QC, Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding: "I do, with the utmost possible force, suggest to this court it would be possible in this case to stand back from immediate custody and to follow the recommendation of the pre-sentence report, albeit, perhaps, under the authority of a suspended sentence order.
"I submit that this is a highly unusual case. The defendant, as your honour has heard, is 24 years of age. She had the most wretched start to life. Both her parents were heroin addicts and they did not want her.
"She was neglected by them and placed in care when just a toddler. By the age of five she had been placed with 39 different foster carers spread around the country."
Bearfield also suffers from dyslexia, reactive attachment disorder, an eating disorder and has "difficulties" with her spine, Mr Garth said.
Her relationship with the children's father was over, she was the sole carer for them and had proved to be an "excellent mother", Mr Garth said.
She was feeling "upset" and "humiliation", as well as "shock" and "disbelief" at the time of the incident, he said. Mr Garth said the baby was "airborne for only a split second".
Bearfield was remorseful and the children are "thriving", Mr Garth said.
After a short adjournment, Mr Evans told the court that police and social services "retain an interest in the family", and asked the judge if he needed further details of that. The judge said he did not.
Judge Watson said of the officer's statement: "I was, as anybody would be, personally moved to hear of the profound effects this injury caused. They were caused by you."
The judge said he had reflected for some time on the sentence, and although the offence crossed the custody threshold, "I have decided it would not be right or conscionable for something you did two years ago to immediately deprive you of your liberty."
Bearfield was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, and must have up to 25 days rehabilitation.
