Mother of Murdered Toddler Back Behind Bars After Bail Breach
Jade Dempsey, 25, has been re-arrested just days after being released on bail in the tragic case of her two-year-old daughter Ali Jayden Doyle’s death. Ali died from a horrific “extensive non-accidental head injury,” and her mum is accused of perverting justice and unlawfully killing the little girl.
Tragic Death Blamed on Partner
Dempsey’s partner, Darren John Armstrong, 32, is the main suspect in Ali’s murder. On the day Ali died, Dempsey ignored social services’ orders and left Ali and her younger sibling in Armstrong’s care. Both children were already flagged as “At-Risk” due to Dempsey’s relationship with Armstrong.
On August 8, 2021, paramedics rushed to Armstrong’s home after Ali was found unresponsive. Armstrong claimed Ali had fallen and hit her head on the fireplace when her baby brother hit her with a toy. Paramedics, worried by his story, called social services and police.
Conflicting Stories Unravel
Initially, Dempsey told police she left Ali-Jayden with Armstrong to look for a lost stuffed animal. But witnesses and phone records reveal the couple had planned for her to care for the children while Dempsey went to Belfast to buy a pram.
Text messages from Armstrong to Dempsey admitted the baby was “really melting my brain” and “won’t stop sobbing.”
The post-mortem showed that Ali’s head injuries were so severe they couldn’t have been accidental. The expert pathologist, with over 25 years’ experience, said he had never seen such trauma in a toddler or adult before.
Bail Breach Sees Dempsey Back in Court
Dempsey changed her story during police interviews and confessed she left the children with Armstrong despite clear warnings. She said she was scared her son would be taken into care – a fate that befell him just hours after Ali’s death.
Initially denied bail at Omagh Magistrates Court, Dempsey was later freed by the High Court. In March, she secured compassionate bail by claiming homelessness to get an address for release. But just days later, after breaking her parole terms, she was back in court and told she would “go back to prison today.”
Her lawyer confirmed no fresh bail application would be made. The reasons behind her bail breach remain private.
