Man Burnt Toddler's Face While High On Magic Mushrooms, Jailed

A man in Ireland, who burnt a toddler’s face with a blowtorch while high on magic mushrooms, has been jailed for 20 months.

A court in Dublin heard that the incident took place on Sept. 6, 2020. On the day of the incident, the 2-year-old boy and his brother, both strapped into a pram, were waiting in the driveway of their home for their parents, who were preparing to take them to a park, local daily Leinster Leader reported.

While their mother was packing things inside the residence, she heard a scream. She and her husband rushed outside the home and found their toddler with a burn on his right cheek.

CCTV footage showed a man, later identified as 30-year-old Darren Brennan, walking towards the pram and bending over it before fleeing the scene seconds later.

Soon, police were informed about the incident. Following an investigation, the detectives identified the man in the video as Brennan. A search warrant was executed at this home and a mini blow torch was recovered from his residence. Police confirmed that the blow torch was used in the attack on the toddler.

The accused was taken into custody. However, initially, he denied attacking the toddler. He told the officers that he saw the two boys in the pram and bent down to pat one of the kids. However, he soon decided against it and walked away from the scene. He told the officers that the toddler might have been stung by a bee.

He later confessed to the attack. Investigation revealed that the man was high on magic mushrooms and had taken antipsychotic drugs at the time of the attack, RTE Ireland reported.

Karl Monahan, Brennan’s defense attorney, told the court that his client was diagnosed with autism and Asperger's Syndrome at a young age. He added that Brennan "regrets what happened."

The accused pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the toddler and was sentenced Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the toddler’s father told the court that the incident had left him "empty, scared for my family's safety and helpless" and that he still struggles with sleep.