A former soldier who forced a toddler to wear an electric shock dog training collar was not sentenced yesterday after her lawyer stopped acting for her.
Lanna Monaghan, 34, also hit the boy so hard with a wooden spoon that it broke and subjected him to cold showers.
She told police she had a temper and could “zone out” and go “out of control”.
Monaghan said saw the shock collar being used and told a pet owner: “If it works on a dog it will work on kids.”
She was due to be sentenced yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow but defence counsel Duncan McPhie said that a change in instruction resulted in him “seeking leave to withdraw from acting”.
The hearing was continued to allow Monaghan time to get a new lawyer.
Monaghan, formerly of Fort William Road, Fort Augustus, previously admitted five charges of assaulting the boy, who does not live with her, at addresses in the Highlands in 2014 and last year.
She pled guilty to repeatedly fixing a dog collar with an electric shock device attached around his neck and inflicting shocks on him in July 2015.
Monaghan also admitted forcibly placing him in a shower and turning it on and off while kicking the boy on the body.
The nine-year Army veteran also pled guilty to biting him on the ear and repeatedly striking him with a wooden spoon.
On the last occasion judge Lady Rae rejected a defence plea to allow Monaghan to remain on bail ahead of sentencing because she is pregnant.
Lady Rae told a weeping Monaghan: “This is an appalling catalogue of charges of physical cruelty – I think that is the only way to describe it – to a toddler over 15 months.”
The abuse ended when the boy was aged three after a concerned woman contacted the authorities.
Monaghan revealed to the woman in a phone call that she had shouted to the child: “Do you want me to go and get the f***ing buzzer?”
She later told police: “I am truly sorry for what happened, I can’t believe it happened.”
She claimed the child “pushes my buttons, spitting on me, peeing on the floor and being sick on the floor.”
Monaghan was again remanded in custody while the case was continued.
