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28
Feb
Knaresborough pair avoid jail after child neglect offences
A man and woman from Knaresborough have avoided jail after admitting child neglect offences.
The defendants, who cannot be named to protect the identities of the children, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday (February 27).
The pair pleaded guilty to child neglect charges in relation to two named children at a previous court hearing. The offences took place at a named address in Knaresborough in February last year.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, said police attended the address to conduct a welfare check.
Officers conducted the check after the man and woman missed appointments with social services, Ms Ibbotson said.
The prosecution told the court that police found both children upstairs at the time of the visit.
In the first bedroom, officers found child A in a cot where a mattress had been soiled and was in a “poor state” and there was an “overwhelming smell”.
Ms Ibbotson said police then checked the second bedroom, where child B was in a cot.
She said:
In [named child]'s bedroom, they found electric extension wires all over the floor. The female defendant said they had a ‘fly issue’ and there were 20-plus flies around the child and landing on the child.
Police community support officers made a second welfare check 12 days later, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson said officers reported an “unpleasant” smell in the living room, a “large amount of dirty nappies” and the curtains closed.
Police also found that there was a “heavily soiled mattress” in child A’s room.
Both children were remove from the man and woman’s care, the court heard.
Hospital checks found that the children “appeared pale” and were “visibly unsettled”, Ms Ibbotson said.
They also had “a rash in the nappy area” and untrimmed nails. Ms Ibbotson added that one child had matted hair and a head lice infestation.
She said:
The hospital report said there were signs of severe neglect over a period of time and a failure to provide basic care.
The man and woman had no previous convictions.
‘She is fully aware the children are not coming back’
Sean Wilson, defending, said that he accepted the prosecution’s case that the property was in a state and that harm had been done to the children.
However, he said both defendants suffered from mental health problems and had “adverse childhood experiences”.
Mr Wilson said:
They were both really young when they had their children.
The female defendant had been diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression and felt “exhausted” looking after two young children, Mr Wilson said.
He added:
She is fully aware that the children are not coming back to her care. She has decided that she is not going to have any more children.
Meanwhile, Mr Wilson said the male defendant suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He added that both defendants had a “reasonable prospect of rehabilitation”, but accepted that the offences crossed the custody threshold.
Mr Wilson said:
It is clear that they committed these offences. However, they have both had difficult starts to their lives. It does not excuse their offending. But they should not have had children so young when they should have been fixing themselves.
Magistrates sentenced the pair to eight months in prison suspended for 18 months.
The male defendant was ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a six-month mental health treatment requirement and a six-month drug rehabilitation order.
He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £187 victims’ surcharge.
Meanwhile, the female defendant was ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation activity days and a six-month mental health treatment requirement.
She was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £187 victims’ surcharge.
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