Couple in court in connection with baby found at Carlow Cathedral
A man has been jailed in the UK and his wife given a suspended sentence for abducting a baby boy who was later found abandoned at the cathedral in Carlow town.
The baby, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken from the home of his legal guardian in the Ashfield area of Nottinghamshire in England on January 22, when he was eight months old.
He was found abandoned the following day near the Cathedral of the Assumption in Carlow. A note with his name and date of birth on was pinned to his buggy.
Today Andrew Warriner, 25, from Kingsway, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts, was jailed for 14 months at Nottingham Crown Court.
His wife Georgina Warriner, 21, was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years. She is also banned from unsupervised contact with children under 18, and had to surrender her passport.
She was also ordered not to have any contact with Andrew Warriner.
The couple had previously pleaded guilty to taking a child out of the UK without appropriate consent.
The court heard the baby was taken from his legal guardian on January 22.
Andrew Warriner later phoned his father to say they had left the baby in the cathedral, the court heard.
Prosecutor Stephen Lowne said: "It appears that the two of them had gone to Carlow to locate an ex-boyfriend of Georgina’s.
“CCTV from Holyhead was recovered, it showed the two defendants and a pram on the outward journey but only the two defendants on the return.”
He said it seemed the boyfriend had moved house so the couple’s plans “hit a brick wall” and they were concerned they could not afford to stay in a hotel and could not sleep outside with the baby.
“Georgina said she watched until a lady had approached the pram and once it appeared that lady had called the garda.
“A note was left pinned to the pram giving the baby’s details. The baby was unharmed and found to be safe and well.”
He said when the defendants returned to the UK, they were arrested by police in Wales and taken to a police station for questioning.
On the fact they left the baby in the cathedral, Judge Tony Mitchell said they had no idea who the adult might have been and it was only “by good fortune” that the child was safe.
