Last updated at 18:35, Wednesday, 13 June 2012

A NEGLIGENT mother has been handed a suspended jail term after police found her young children wandering the streets.

The 32-year-old Barrow woman was given a four-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of neglect when she appeared at Furness Magistrates’ Court yesterday. The woman was in a drunken state at the home of a friend after police found two youngsters, under 13, wandering streets near Barrow town centre.

Another couple, a 36-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, appeared charged with four counts of neglect after both admitted they were too drunk to look after their children. The pair will be sentenced on July 3. The women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been drinking before the 32-year-old’s three children returned from school on May 3. The pair then took a taxi to the 31-year-old’s home, taking two of the children.

The women were joined by the 36-year-old husband of the 31-year-old woman, along with the couple’s four children, before the group attended a barbecue at a different house and the adults continued drinking. The court heard that following the barbecue the 31-year-old woman left her husband, believing he was in charge of the children. He then returned home, joined by the 32-year-old woman.

A three-year-old child was left sleeping in the bedroom of the house where the barbecue was held.

Two of the children were found by police walking towards Barrow town centre at around 11.30pm.

When police visited the address, both the man and woman were drunk while the 31-year-old was out “on the town”. The children were taken to their respective grandparents after the adults were arrested.

Police later found the 31-year-old woman and told them her children had been taken in to care.

Mrs Lisa Hine, prosecuting, said: “Police told her they needed to speak to her regarding her children.

“She said ‘just keep them then’ and removed a bottle of Lambrini from her handbag and started drinking from the bottle.”

The court heard how the defendants all admitted being too drunk to look after the children but felt ashamed of their actions.

Presiding magistrate Dr Raj Rathi said: “You wilfully allowed yourself to become intoxicated at the expense of your children with a real risk of serious harm.

“It’s likely you have caused long term distress from your actions.”

The 32-year-old woman was sentenced to a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months, ordered to complete an alcohol treatment programme and ordered to complete 60 hours unpaid work.

She was ordered to pay £85 costs.

The 31-year-old woman and the 36-year-old man are due to be sentenced for child neglect on July 3.
 

First published at 13:47, Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk