MONTICELLO – The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court Third Department
has affirmed the trial conviction and sentencing of Saundra Hansson for
the depraved indifference to human life assault of a three-year-old child
and the 22-year state prison sentenced imposed by Sullivan County Court
Judge Michael McGuire.
Hansson, 25, of Fulton, was found guilty on October 1, 2015 on two assault
counts and one for criminal obstruction of breathing.
District Attorney James Farrell said the evidence at trial established
that Hansson, while visiting the county between June 15 and June 18, 2014,
assaulted the child, who sustained life-threatening injuries including
severe abdominal injuries, a broken pelvis in three locations, a broken
neck, five broken ribs, a broken clavicle, a broken arm, broken fingers
and bones in both hands and extensive bruises, contusions and abrasions
all over his head and body.
The child’s condition was noticed on June 18, 2014 by a stranger
at the Shortline bus terminal, who called Monticello Police to report
the child’s condition.
That prompted an investigation by the Sullivan County Family Violence
Response team led by State Police Senior Investigator Nancy Stack.
At trial, one of the doctors who testified described the nature of the
injuries as horrific. Testimony also established that without medical
intervention, the child would likely have died within hours.
Hansson admitted the assault in an interview with Investigator Stack and
the child identified Hansson as the perpetrator of the abuse when being
treated at Catskill Regional Medical Center to a registered nurse and
at Westchester Medical Center to a the attending pediatric trauma physician.
Farrell said the child has made a recovery physically, “but will
suffer the scars of this assault psychologically, forever.”
