THE mother of an 11-month-old baby who was murdered by her partner has said the 13-year sentence handed down to the killer is "nowhere near long enough for what this demon has done to my child".
Nicole McGleenon said the sentence was a "huge insult" to her deceased son Hunter and her family, adding that the child "deserves better".
Sharyar Ali (34) was told last week that he will spent at least 13 years in jail for the murder of Hunter McGleenon in Keady in November 2019 when he was supposed to be caring for him. The little boy had 19 instances of head and neck trauma.
The court heard that it was the opinion of the assistant state pathologist that Hunter’s injuries had been caused by "either direct trauma, or blows or kicks and/or by shaking".
Ali, of Westenra Terrace, Monaghan town was looking after Hunter while his mother Nicole was with her dying grandmother. But he visited casinos and mobile phone shops in Monaghan and Louth, often leaving the baby in the car, on one occasion for more than two hours.
When Ali arrived at Nicole’s grandmother’s house the next day, he said Hunter was not breathing and later claimed he had fallen from a sofa while having his nappy changed.
Ali, a Pakistani national, automatically received a life sentence at Newry Crown Court in April this year after pleading guilty. The PPS is considering whether there is a ground to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal.
Speaking to The Sunday Life following the sentencing, Nicole McGleenon (30) said: "Thirteen years is nowhere near long enough for what this demon has done to my child. It’s a huge insult to Hunter, me and the family. We deserve better and Hunter deserves better."
Nicole’s sister, Coleen, said: "Growing up, all Nicole ever wanted was to be a mummy. It was her dream. She was the most incredible mummy. Hunter was her entire world. Nobody should have to hold the lifeless body of their child. But as hard as it was to do it, we didn’t want to leave him."
"If it had been an accident, you might eventually learn to deal with it, but he [Ali] was someone we knew, liked and had welcomed into our family. What he did is just so wrong."
