A YOUNG woman who watched as a man put an unconscious toddler into a freezer faces up to 10 years in prison for child neglect.

The child foamed at the mouth, vomited, remained unconscious for five minutes and was put in the freezer in an effort to revive her.

But Ann-Marie Tatham waited a day before taking the battered and bruised toddler to hospital.

Tatham, 22, of Bolesworth Close, Upton, was found guilty at Chester Crown Court of cruelty to a person under the age of

She said she had gone into her kitchen on November 1 and discovered James Wilson, also known as Joe or Bagga, holding the unconscious child.

The court heard she left the child in the care of a man she believed used drugs and carried knives.

Medical examinations found the child had suffered two head fractures and a fracture to the shoulder.

During a police interview Tatham said the child was clumsy and kept walking into things. under the cold tap. 'I saw him take the drawers out of the freezer and watched him put her in and take her out. He left her in the freezer for one or two minutes. First he put her under the cold tap. I thought it was unusual,' she said.

'She was floppy still. He stuck his fingers in her mouth and said she's not breathing,' she added.

'I said I want an ambulance but he said no, she's coming round. He then turned her on the side and smacked her on the back and food came out. She was limp or lifeless for about five minutes.'

She later told the court the child had been foaming at the mouth.

Tatham said Wilson had attempted to explain how the child became unconscious.

Reading from the statement, prosecutor Simon Medland said: 'He told her he had given the child breakfast. Then she had picked up his amphetamines and put them in his drink. He said he was angry and ignored her. Then she jumped off the settee.'

He added: 'The next day the girl con-16. tinued to vomit. Joe told her he was leaving as he was wanted by police and had been accused of child abuse before.'

When Tatham took the child to hospital, she told the doctor the youngster had tried to jump off a sofa at her and fallen face-first on to the concrete floor.

Dr John Gibbs, consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester, said Tatham told him she was the one who first took the child to the kitchen and splashed water on her face.

He added: 'I asked if she had any other explanations for the child's injuries. She told me two days before the child had been playing with a golf ball and had hit herself.'

Pictures were shown to the jury detailing the child's injuries - extensive bruising to the head, cheeks, grazes above her lip, nose and ear.

She also had grazes above her shoulder, on her chest and bruises in her mouth, on her hand and inside her elbow.

X-rays and a CT scan showed fractures to the left and right sides of her head and a fracture to her left shoulder blade.

Dr Gibbs said: 'All those injuries could not have been caused by the fall.'

Mr Medland said Tatham said the child had grazed her eyes by hitting herself with a beaker and had a blister after brushing against a lit cigarette.

Defending, Matthew Dunford said Tatham lied about the child's injuries because she was scared of Wilson.

In a police interview she said: 'He's a psycho and he carries knives.'

Tearful Tatham, who denied the charge, said: 'Everyone says I'm too trustworthy.'

Tatham will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on May 21. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.

After the verdict, a close family member who did not wish to be named described Tatham as 'naive'. She said: 'Anne Marie was a victim of circumstances. She only wanted to be loved by her mother.'

DC Barry Weaver, of the child protection team, said: 'I think it was an excellent result and the jury were right in this decision.

'This was a difficult and disturbing case which left a very young child with some serious injuries.'