A Texas mother has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison following a heart-wrenching case where she brought her severely bruised and unresponsive daughter to the hospital, claiming the child was suffering from the flu.

Katie Boggeman, the 97th District Attorney, announced that 30-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Newsom entered a guilty plea on November 10. Newsom admitted to the charge of injury to a child by failing to protect her daughter from severe harm or death, as reported by Oxygen.

As part of a plea agreement, Sarah Newsom received a 22-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and has relinquished her right to appeal the decision. Her two-year-old daughter, Scarlette “Olivia” Newsom, tragically passed away in 2018.

District Attorney Boggeman stated, “The 97th District is able to bring closure to the case of this child’s tragic murder,” underscoring the gravity of the situation.

In remarks to KFDX, Boggeman reflected, “As a mother, no amount of time seems sufficient, but it was the right decision for our county to finally allow that baby to rest in peace.”

Scarlette “Olivia” Newsom Was Brought Into Hospital “Limp and Floppy”

Sarah’s boyfriend Joshua Thomas Fulbright—who was accused of beating the child to death—was convicted of capital murder in his third trial on the charges against him earlier this year, according to court records.

The harrowing case began Oct. 18, 2018, when Olivia was brought into the emergency room of the Clay County Memorial Hospital.

An ER tech and former EMT called to the stand in Fulbright’s trial, said a “nonchalant” Sarah brought her daughter into the hospital covered in a blanket, telling staff that she “had the flu,” according to earlier reporting from KFDX. 

The witness described Olivia as “limp and floppy,” and observed bruising on the toddler’s face. Sarah allegedly claimed the child had fallen out of the bath, but after the staff brought Olivia back into an exam room they noted extensive bruising all over her body.

The witness testified that there was “not a surface on the child that had no injuries.”

Olivia was rushed in an ambulance to the Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, where she remained on life support for five days before her death, the outlet reported.

Sarah Newsom Testifies Against Boyfriend Joshua Thomas Fulbright

Sarah would also take the stand against her boyfriend describing how Fulbright, who was not the baby’s father, would punish the toddler in a series of increasingly intense punishments, like forcing her to squat against the wall for ten minutes, according to Law & Crime. When she was unable to complete the tasks, Sarah testified Fulbright would beat the 2-year-old. 

Sarah also admitted to slapping the child herself on at least one occasion to bring her out of seizure-like behavior, according to court documents obtained by the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

Sarah was also allegedly in the room when Olivia was beaten.

Fulbright was convicted of capital murder for his role in the fatal beating in March, after two prior mistrials in the case. He is appealing the conviction, according to Boggeman.