A babysitter was sentenced to a year in jail yesterday for breaking an infant's leg while he was in her care.

However, Betty Jean Steede walked free from court nonetheless - because a judge bailed her pending an appeal.

The 51-year-old was convicted in January of causing grievous bodily harm to La'Naiye Simmons when he was five months old.

It remains unclear how the infant suffered the spiral fracture to his thigh-bone, which doctors said would have taken considerable force to inflict, and which left him in severe pain. However, prosecutors suggested during the case that Steede had been changing the baby on the back of a sofa at her home in Swans Bay, Pembroke, and grabbed his leg to stop him falling.

The defendant protested her innocence during her eight-day Supreme Court trial, telling the jury at one stage: "I love children. They're my life."

She attempted to convince them that La'Naiye was injured before he came to her home on the day in question in October 2006. La'Naiye, now aged 21 months, had to spend six weeks in a plaster cast.

According to his mother Laneh Simmons, his right leg remains shorter than his left as a result of the injury. He continues to undergo physical therapy and must be x-rayed every six months for the next two years to check on his recovery. In a "victim impact statement" read to Puisne Justice Carlisle Greaves at the sentencing hearing, she said: "I wanted to cry for him, seeing my son crying in pain."

She also told the court: "I wish no parent or child to go through what I have been through. Justice needs to be served."

Senior Crown Counsel Carrington Mahoney asked Puisne Justice Carlisle Greaves to jail Steede for between two and five years.

However, defence lawyer Victoria Pearman said the most the prosecutor had proved was that her client was guilty of a "one-off careless act."

She told the judge: "You are not here dealing with a monster. You are not here dealing with somebody who has deliberately caused harm."–Steede's child care business was closed down in the aftermath of the incident and she now works as a supermarket cashier. However, Ms Pearman called mothers of other children she had cared for as character witnesses. They variously described Steede as "excellent", "professional" and "attentive".

The defendant herself broke down in tears as she read a statement to the judge saying: "In my heart of hearts I don't believe I caused La'Naiye Simmons any harm but if I did, it would never be intentional.

"I pray to God that La'Naiye is doing very well and there's no lasting effect from his injury."

She has previous convictions for importing heroin in 1977, for which she got a nine month sentence, and obstructing Police under the Misuse of Drugs Act in 1981, for which she received probation.

Mr. Justice Greaves said he did not take those into account when deciding upon the sentence. However, he made it clear that he might have been more lenient if Steede had admitted to the crime against La'Naiye and apologised instead of placing the blame elsewhere.

"The only sign of contrition - and it seems not much at all - is focused on her, not the child's parents," he noted.

Meting out the 12-month sentence, he said he would grant bail if Ms Pearman planned an appeal because otherwise the sentence might be served before the appeal is heard.

Ms Pearman indicated that she would do just this - but did not specify whether this will be an appeal against Steede's conviction, her sentence, or both.