The mother of murdered two-year-old Ali Jayden Doyle who died after a sustaining what was described as an “extensive non-accidental head injury” has been readmitted to bail, after she was returned to prison days after being found in breach of terms of a previous release.
Jade Dempsey (25) formerly of Sycamore Drive, Dungannon is charged with causing her daughter’s death by an unlawful act and perverting justice by providing misleading information to police.
Her partner Darren John Armstrong (32) of Park Avenue, Dungannon is charged with Ali’s murder.
Despite being expressly warned against bringing Ali-Jayden and her baby brother into contact with Armstrong, she left them in his care on the day of the incident.
Both children were on the At-Risk register as a direct result of Dempsey’s relationship with Armstrong.
It was previously disclosed paramedics were called to Armstrong’s address on 8 August 2021, where Ali was found unresponsive.
Armstrong claimed her baby brother hit her with a toy, causing her to fall and strike her head on the fireplace, but paramedics became concerned and contacted police and Social Services.
Dempsey initially claimed she went to Armstrong’s house to return a bank card, where she realised one of the children had lost its dummy and left them with him while she retraced her steps to look for it.
In fact, the couple had arranged for Dempsey to leave the children with him while she travelled to Belfast to purchase a pram.
Shortly after leaving them off, Armstrong sent Dempsey a text saying the baby boy, “Is seriously melting my head. He won’t stop crying.”
A post-mortem revealed Ali’s head trauma was most likely non-accidental with injuries so extensive the pathologist couldn’t say how many times there was impact. In over 25 years experience, the pathologist had never seen this level of accidental injury in a child or adult.
During interview Dempsey changed accounts before accepting she left the children with Armstrong, contravening Social Services warnings. She claimed she was afraid to tell the truth as her baby boy would be taken into care, which subsequently occurred within hours of Ali’s death.
Refused bail after first appearance at Omagh Magistrates Court, Dempsey was permitted to be released by the High Court however obtaining a suitable address proved difficult.
She was granted compassionate bail at Dungannon Magistrates Court in March, to allow her to present as homeless to the Housing Executive in order to obtain an address for release.
During that time, accommodation was secured and she was fully on bail.
But within days, Dempsey was back in court after breaching her terms of release, which her solicitor confirmed were accepted.
He explained there would be no application for bail as the address previously obtained was longer an address available, adding, “My client knows she is going back to prison today.”
The circumstances surrounding the breaches were never disclosed.
Dempsey remained in custody until the most recent court sitting where a detective constable confirmed she could be re-released with an additional condition of no contact with any child at any time.
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