IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – In a courtroom packed with local child advocates, Jeffrey Ireton, convicted of 2nd-degree child abuse, faced sentencing today in Dickinson County. The defendant, appearing without counsel, rejected the opportunity for legal representation during the proceedings. Ireton was convicted on a lesser 2nd degree charge after being accused of first degree child abuse this past October.
Prosecutor Cass urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, emphasizing the severity of the crime against Ireton’s 23-month-old child, Nolan. She pointed to the disturbing details revealed during the trial, including premeditation and a lack of remorse on the part of the defendant.
“Your honor, the defendant stands before the court after severely beating his 23-month-old child. The people are respectfully requesting this court sentence the defendant to the high end of the guidelines… When it comes to the severity of this crime, it cannot be understated. A 1-year-old child went for a visitation with his father, a visitation that his father had already decided would involve punishment. It ended in him being hospitalized for days with injuries that he will forever need to be monitored over,” stated Prosecuting attorney Cass.
Despite the probation recommendation, Cass argued for a 24-month sentence, citing the need to protect the child and deter others from committing similar acts of child abuse.
“He was asked on page 6 what was the first thing that you remember from that visit? The answer – ‘I mean I did it, like I said I planned to, or more, as I was encouraged to by the elder Mennonite. As my dad encouraged me, as my father encouraged me to. I had intended to expecting, and foreseeing his disobedience to correct him. To discipline him. To beat him.’”
“On page 12, he was asked why. Specifically, he was asked by myself: ‘can you think of any example of the many things he was doing wrong that night?’ The answer: ‘One of the things, for example, I would say ‘say dad’ which he would do. He had done a million times. But he was choosing not to say it, or he would say something else, and he was refusing to say it,” said Prosecutor Cass.
“And we know this hurt Nolan,” the prosecutor continued, “On page 46 he says once he started crying, ‘that’s when I knew I was inflicting pain. That is where I established my baseline.’ And lastly, why, I think the punishment of this crime is needed at the high end of the guideline range is because he would do it again. There needs to be a deterrence, your honor. On his own redirect on page 56 of the transcript. He states ‘I pretty much already said it, but just so we are clear once I see the actual pictures of it with full detail, I didn’t think to myself. Oh boy, I abused him, but I did think OK. I would next time if and when there is, I would tone it back and maybe there would be if I spent an hour and a half this last time I would spend an hour next time. And then if he continued, if that didn’t do the trick, I would do an hour the next time spread it out sort of thing.’”
Prosecution: “You’re honor, you’ve seen the pictures the court has seen the pictures. The court has heard the evidence. This conduct is simply only to be punished by the high end of the range, and we respectfully request the court to do the 24 months sentence.”
During the sentencing, Judge Barglind expressed concerns over Ireton’s lack of remorse, premeditation, and the potential for future harm to his child. Citing factors not adequately considered by sentencing guidelines, the judge exceeded the recommended range, sentencing Ireton to a minimum of 40 months and a maximum of 10 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The court acknowledged Ireton’s prior misdemeanor conviction related to spanking his child and highlighted the serious injuries inflicted on the 23-month-old, necessitating hospitalization and intensive medical treatment.
In a chilling revelation, Ireton’s own words were cited during the sentencing, indicating his intent to discipline and inflict harm on his child. The judge underscored the need for a sentence that reflects the gravity of the offense, emphasizing the court’s duty to impose a reasonable and proportionate punishment.
“Potential that he’ll do this again: well, he did, —- not as severe but seven sets of three spankings I think he testified to his daughter in order to help her get over her fear of the monkey bars. An hour and a half of beatings with a rod in order to help his son’s terrible two defiance that he has seen come on. And his testimony that he would do it again. From my notes, he testified when I saw the marks I shot I would tone it down from an hour and a half to an hour, but more often because that’s what my dad would do. And again, back to the point of pre-meditation – I also have my notes quote from Mr. Ireton in his testimony. ‘I have been planning to do it. I had the intent to discipline him that night,’” mentioned the Judge.
“His sparing, Nolan’s was to the front of his body. Dr. Whaley testified that his little legs felt like Styrofoam from the swelling. Did not even feel like a typical leg. He developed Rhabdomyolysis, which is from the breakdown of the muscles. A Breakdown of the muscles occurred as a result of the beating, based on her testimony. The muscles break down, the protein then goes into the kidneys and when an excessive amount of protein goes into the kidneys that creates this illness called rhabdomyolysis. Excessive proteins did go into Nolan‘s kidneys. We heard the test results that indicated that. Those protein levels can go to levels that are not with the kidneys can handle without treatment. Fortunately, in this case, the victim’s mother got him in for treatment. He had excellent treatment at our local hospital. Mr. Ireton was very critical of the doctor for her treatment and of the mother for bringing him in for that treatment,” noted Judge Barglind.
“However, it did appear to the court from what I heard that had that treatment not occurred very serious injuries, including potential kidney failure, could have occurred. The liver tests were elevated, his kidneys showed some ramifications of the bodily inflictions, there was blood in his urine. He needed fluids. He got those in the way of IVs in order to get him to improve over the course of a week’s hospitalization. Dr. Whaley testified that he was at a high risk of going into acute renal failure. His CPK, which is a number they shine to a certain factor that’s detected in the blood. Nolan‘s blood CPK was 30,000. Normal for him would have been 100 -200. Dr. Whaley testified she had never seen levels that high in her 17 years of pediatric work where she treats 1000 patients a year,” she added.
“Mr. Ireton was critical of the way – as I stated she treated him – Could’ve gotten some fluids at home would’ve been fine. Dr. Whaley testified that that most likely would’ve not been sufficient given the high levels that he had in his system,” continued Judge Barglind, adding,
“So those factors, I think, indicate a serious nature of injury, serious nature of infliction, that was not contemplated by the guidelines sufficiently. Premeditation is not a factor that was taken by the guidelines, but clearly in Mr. Ireton’s own words was a premeditated event. He had seen Nolan‘s behavior in his words becoming defiant, he had spoken to the Mennonites about it. They had encouraged him, he had replied upon the words of the Bible to plan this beating for Nolan. And it occurred when Nolan wouldn’t say dad when asked, and it continued for an hour and a half or so. It was not continuous beating for an hour and a half, but he would establish the baseline which was when Nolan would cry, and then he would increase the level of his beatings from there, stop to see if he would change his behavior and when he didn’t, he would continue on, took the diaper off so that, and got the rod which was a swiffer duster so that he would have more of an effect on Nolan.”
“So the defendants own words this was a premeditated act. That is something that the court is permitted to consider in determining the sentence. Lack of remorse is also a factor that the court can consider. Everything that I’ve heard throughout this case, Mr. Ireton’s testimony, I believe that he lacks remorse for these acts. He did admit to the beatings, but he didn’t accept the severity of them or the medical explanation of what he did to his child. He has repeatedly used the Bible for justification, and continues to do so.
As the courtroom processed the sentence, Ireton was ordered to pay various fees, including a crime victim assessment, DNA testing fee, and state costs. The sentence allows for an appeal within 42 days, and if requested, a court-appointed attorney will assist in the process.
