FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – A jury in Tarrant County on Thursday took about two hours to convict a 33-year-old mother of beating one of her kids. April Chavunne Brown was sentenced to 27 years behind bars for knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a child. The brutal beating left Brown’s 6-year-old daughter blind and developmentally disabled.

The incident took place in April 2012. Brown’s daughter arrived at the hospital with swollen eyes, broken front teeth, a gash on her chin and bruises all over her body. The mother said that the child was injured when she fell during a seizure. But a series of medical tests also showed that the young girl had traumatic brain injuries, scars on her back, bed sores and several broken bones. Plus, she was malnourished. The 6-year-old child stayed in the hospital recovering for more than a month.

Prosecutors presented this as evidence of long-term child abuse.

During the investigation, Brown admitted to disciplining her kids with a wooden paddle or belt, but denied allegations of child abuse. Police found a cable and a bat in the 6-year-old girl’s room. According to DNA tests, the items contained traces of the victim’s blood.

Brown described her daughter as hateful and less affectionate than her other kids. She has a total of seven children with five different fathers, and a long history with Child Protective Services. Brown was also accused of abusing her oldest daughter, and gave birth to her youngest child while in jail for a child abuse case.

Assistant District Attorney Rainey Webb stated, “No amount of time in prison can repair the extensive damage April Brown caused to her 6-year-old daughter. The jury’s decision to convict her and then send her to the penitentiary will prevent her from hurting any of these children again.”

The daughter is now living with a foster family. Her brothers and sisters have all been placed with relatives.

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