Talking about the horrifying incident, the mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Irvine Herald that she felt “utterly harassed”.
“They snatched him from my arms three hours after he was born by Caesarean and said I wasn't allowed to feed him. I feel utterly harassed. They said I was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. That was a lie,” the woman explained.
A child protection order was granted at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last year, but was recently overturned by Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlene who described the evidence as “in some parts, plainly wrong”.
The Sheriff admitted that she was extremely concerned by the answers social worker Caroline Ferrier gave in court, saying they were “confused and confusing”.
"I formed the clear impression that Mrs Ferrier had disliked [the mother] from the outset and had not taken the necessary steps to fully investigate previous allegations about her. Information presented was at best mistaken and at worst complete fabrication," she added.
North Ayrshire Council have revealed that, following the incident, Ms. Ferrier and another woman no longer worked for them.
In response to the overturned case, a council spokesperson said: “We are working closely with staff and partner agencies to reinforce these. We would reassure service users and their families that each client's case is subject to regular review. If poor or inappropriate practice is uncovered, the council will always take swift action to address this.”
