Woman jailed for using electric shock dog collar on toddler as punishment

An ex-soldier who used an electric dog collar on a little boy as punishment during a catalogue of abuse has been jailed. Lanna Monaghan, who lived at several addresses in The Highlands, admitted to fixing the collar to the toddler's neck and inflicting electric shocks on several occasions in July 2015.

The pregnant woman committed 'cruel' abuse in a 15-month period beginning in April 2014. Amongst the other abuses included kicking the child, hitting him with a wooden spoon until it broke, biting him and giving him cold showers.

Often the abuse was to punish the child after he wet himself or refused to eat and only ended when the 34-year-old's mother reported her to police. During her trial she admitted giving the boy three shocks to his neck in quick succession because he refused to swallow food.

Monaghan was sentenced to three years and four months in prison by judge Lady Rae at the High Court in Glasgow. The judge told her according to the Daily Record: "I can't see how any right-minded person would use such an instrument on a dog, never mind a child. This defenceless little boy must have been terrified of you. You must have known what you did was wrong."

The judge said Monaghan had admitted a catalogue of abuse and rejected Monaghan's claim that her mother had encouraged her to use the dog collar. She added: "These were deliberate attacks on the child and appeared to be punishment for not eating his food or urinating on the floor. He did not suffer lasting physical effects, but it is impossible to determine what the emotional impact will be."

The court heard that Monaghan told police she was "truly sorry" but that the boy "pushes my buttons, spitting on me, peeing on the floor and being sick on the floor". For the Crown Jane Farquharson said at the hearing: "She did not appear to recognise the possibility that the child was reacting involuntarily and through fear."

Defending Monaghan Ronnie Renucci told the High Court that his client had borderline personality disorder and she had expressed "genuine remorse".