Neglect Dad’s Jail Sentence Overturned After Baby Daughter Dies
Michael Conroy, who admitted neglecting his 19-month-old daughter Keira before her tragic death, has had his prison sentence quashed by appeal judges.
Heartbreaking Neglect in Coatbridge Home
Conroy failed to provide adequate food and fluids for little Keira. He also left her alone and unattended for long stretches at their home on Greenwood Crescent, Coatbridge. The toddler, born prematurely, was found pale and cold after being neglected for three days in December 2017.
Keira was given just four chicken nuggets and spaghetti hoops and was left without food or milk for 21 hours, according to an investigation. Her living conditions were described as a “filthy flat” filled with suffocation hazards and dirty nappies.
Parents’ All-Nighter Watching TV and Playing Games
Conroy and Keira’s mother, Kirsty Boyle, reportedly had a bad habit of pulling all-nighters binge-watching TV and playing video games. On December 19, 2017, they stayed up until 6.30 a.m., then slept until 3 p.m. the next day, neglecting their baby in the process.
Conroy only checked on Keira at around 5 p.m. to find her “very white” with sick around her mouth. He also admitted exposing her to street Valium pills found in her travel cot, though there was no proof she ingested the drug.
Sentence Overturned – No Proof Neglect Caused Death
Conroy was originally jailed following his guilty plea to wilful neglect likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury. But the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh overturned his sentence, ruling the neglect was not directly linked to Keira’s death.
“There was no overarching callousness or vindictiveness in this case. Rather, there was a lack of responsibility on the part of the appellant, who was, after all, a young person at the time,” defence lawyer Craig Findlater told judges.
Appeal judges, led by Lord Doherty, replaced the jail term with a community payback order demanding 200 hours of unpaid work. They noted Conroy’s youth (24 at the time), no previous custodial sentences, and no further offences since.
Father’s Troubled Past and Family Life
Conroy, who watched the appeal via video link from Addiewell Prison, previously received unpaid work orders after threatening to murder his mother and assaulting police during his arrest. He remains in a relationship with Kirsty Boyle, and the couple have another child.
