A woman was sentenced to five to ten years in prison
yesterday in Erie County Court in
Chytoria Graham, 28, got into a fight on October 8, 2006 with her boyfriend DeAngelo Troop, after she came at home drunk. She grabbed her son, Jarron, 4 week old, by his feet and swung him, hitting Troop, the Associated Press reports.
Infant’s skull was fractured. The baby recovered and is now living with her family.
In March she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and jeopardizing the welfare of a child. In June she withdrew the plea.
According to her lawyers, the she entered the plea on grounds of being drunk and preoccupied for the welfare of her child.
Graham told the emergency workers she had swung her child like a bat, but at her trial she testified that she didn’t remember much of what happened that night.
In October the jury convicted her of aggravated assault and child endangerment.
Graham faced a mandatory minimum of five years in prison because of child’s age, who is under 13. She also received probation for two years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Her lawyer, James Pitonyak, said that she will appeal her conviction.
He said: "This is really a case that should have been moved out of town."
The jury selection guaranteed a fair trial, said Prosecutor Erin Connelly. She also said that Graham confessed many times, so there wasn’t any doubt that she actually swung the baby.