Father gets eight years
for assaulting infant daughter
By Kathy McCarty
PRESQUE ISLE — A local man was sentenced in Aroostook County Superior Court to eight years in prison for causing lifelong injuries to his infant daughter.
Patrick Bailey, 27, of Presque Isle, appeared before Aroostook County Superior Court Justice E. Allen Hunter on Friday, Sept. 17, where Bailey waived a trial, instead pleading guilty to the charge of aggravated assault. Hunter sentenced him to 10 years in prison with all but eight years suspended, as well as three years of probation and a number of conditions. In addition to prison time, Bailey was ordered to pay restitution to the state for the baby’s medical expenses, since the child’s treatment following the incident was paid by MaineCare. The amount has yet to be determined but will cover expenses from the time the girl was injured through Friday’s court date.
Hunter deemed it the worst case short of homicide that he’s seen in three decades.
Trouble began for Bailey on Dec. 3, 2008, when his 38-day-old daughter was ill, fussy and hadn’t slept. Bailey was reportedly sleep deprived as well and was attempting to get the child to go to sleep in the home he shared with his wife, Jennifer Bailey, at 68 Chapman Road in Presque Isle.
Deputy District Attorney Carrie Linthicum explained to the court how Bailey put his hands around the infant’s torso and squeezed her to make her cry, hoping she’d cry herself to sleep. Linthicum indicated this wasn’t the first time Bailey had used such a method on the child. Despite reported protests from the mother asking Bailey to stop, the man reassured his wife, telling her he knew CPR — authorities later determined Bailey had never taken any type of infant CPR course.
Bailey’s actions reportedly caused the baby to turn yellow and stop breathing. With the child unresponsive, Bailey and his wife drove the baby to The Aroostook Medical Center. When they arrived, the baby reportedly had no pulse or heartbeat and was clinically dead for about 32 minutes until hospital staff revived her. Linthicum told the court the baby was then rushed to the pediatric intensive care unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center, where she stayed for an extended period. Emergency personnel were credited with saving the child and preventing the case from being one of manslaughter, said Linthicum.
Bailey was arrested Dec. 9 for the aggravated assault of his 5-week-old daughter, following an investigation between Presque Isle Police Detective Bill Scull and Maine State Police Det. Adam Stoutamyer.
Court records indicate the child, whose name is not being released, sustained serious injury to her lungs, liver and neck. The Baileys gave up custody of their daughter; she has since been adopted and her name was changed. Now nearly 2 years old, she still cannot crawl or sit up unassisted. Because of oxygen deprivation the night of the assault, the child suffers from cerebral palsy, affecting all her limbs and the function of her mouth. Unable to eat normally, a feeding tube is used to acquire her main source of nutrients. The little girl also undergoes painful physical therapy and will be disabled for life as the result of her father’s actions, Linthicum said.
The baby’s adoptive family urged the court to hand down a punishment harsh enough to suit the crime. Jennifer Bailey’s parents also indicated their son-in-law showed no remorse during the child’s hospitalization following the incident; they asked for a lengthy jail sentence as well.
Luke Rossignol, Bailey’s Presque Isle attorney, acknowledged his client had made a terrible mistake and used inappropriate parenting techniques but noted Bailey did what he could following the incident to obtain medical treatment and cooperated with law enforcement during the subsequent investigation.
Bailey expressed concern for his safety in prison. His family, including Jennifer Bailey, pleaded for mercy; she characterized her husband as a good man who’d matured since the incident, calling the event a ‘freak accident.’
Linthicum requested Bailey spend the full 10 years in prison with no time suspended, while Rossignol sought a lesser amount.
It took Hunter just over a half hour to decide on the sentence. Hunter acknowledged while Bailey was not likely to reoffend, his “parental strategy of physical brutality to control an infant’s crying is beyond comprehension.” He sentenced Bailey to 10 years, with all but eight suspended, with restitution and conditions included. Hunter concluded by noting that although Bailey will serve eight years behind bars, it will take considerable time to pay restitution, effectively resulting in a financial life sentence.
