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OGDEN -- A tearful apology from a mother whose boyfriend strangled her baby with a sock didn't stop a judge from sentencing the woman to serve up to 30 years in prison for her role in the crime.
Camille Randles, 24, told Judge J. Brent West on Wednesday that she will be "forever sorry" that she failed to intervene when her boyfriend repeatedly abused and eventually killed 3-month-old Aroura Lee Randles in 2006. Randles' husband, Aroura's father, was serving in the military overseas at the time.
"I fully regret every day and every action I took," Randles said before West sentenced her to two consecutive 1-to-15-year prison terms Wednesday.
The apology had little effect on the judge, who handed down the maximum possible sentence and said learning about the abuse Aroura endured "saddened my heart and sickened my stomach." The judge was unable to read Randles' pre-sentencing report, which contained graphic details about the child's death, in one sitting. West said he took a break to watch a football game and hug his grandson.
Randles last month pleaded guilty to second-degree felony counts of child abuse involving physical injury and obstructing justice in connection with her daughter's death. She also pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor of failing to report child abuse.
Her former boyfriend, Trevor Thomas Grover, was sentenced in April to 15 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to strangling the girl. Randles admitted standing by while Grover harmed the child, as well as participating in the abuse.
Grover told police he was jealous of the attention she received from her mother and could not make the child stop crying. He also admitted to cutting off the child's breathing until she passed out on two other occasions.
West ordered Randles to serve six months in the Weber County Jail for the misdemeanor charge. She must also pay the state $940 for Aroura's burial expenses.
Randles' defense attorney, Roy Cole, asked West to order a diagnostic evaluation of Randles before a final sentence was imposed. Cole said Randles suffers from depression and bipolar disorder, which were factors in her behavior around the time of Aroura's death.
Nicholas Randles told the judge Grover preyed on his wife and stole money from her, leaving her without needed prescriptions that resulted in her erratic behavior. Nicholas Randles said he was on the phone with his wife when Aroura died and that his wife wouldn't have been calm if she was in her right mind.
"She'd smack [our kids'] hands away from a burning stove ... and then she'd cry because she thought she'd smacked them too hard," Randles said, describing his wife's devotion to their children. "I wish people could know her the way I do."
Cole argued his client, who initially lied about the incident to police, was incapable of understanding her responsibility in her infant's death and needs treatment.
But prosecutor Sandra Corp said Randles put her desire to keep her relationship with Grover ahead of her duty to keep her children safe. Randles had several opportunities to tell police that Grover was abusing Aroura, particularly because her father is a sheriff's deputy, Corp said.
West denied the diagnostic evaluation request, saying an evaluation would do little good.