CHILD CRUELTY CASE: 'House stank of urine' - court hears

12:30pm Wednesday 3rd December 2008

A WOMAN found guilty of two counts of child cruelty failed to take any steps to prevent her daughters from "obvious and serious harm," a court heard.

The woman, 23, was convicted at Abergavenny Magistrates court yesterday after pleading not guilty.

She cannot be identified as there is a court order restricting the publication of any information that would identify her four and five-year-old children.

The woman's house was raided by police in August looking for drugs.

No drugs were found, but police became concerned with the state of the house and if it was suitable for young children to live in.

The mother was arrested and the children were taken to a relative's house.

Officers who attended the scene told the court how rooms in the house smelled strongly of urine, and one officer said the smell was so bad he felt physically sick.

She told magistrates she rarely stayed at the house with her two daughters, as drug addicts would break into her shed to take drugs, which she reported to police on several occasions.

When she did she slept on the sofas over fears of break-ins.

When officers arrived at the scene, the court heard, her children were unkempt and dishevelled-looking, wearing just t-shirts and nappies with nothing on their feet.

Two bongs, pipes used to smoke cannabis, were found, one in the kitchen and one in the living room.

There were full bin bags left in the kitchen, and what officers described as "drug-taking paraphernalia," including burnt foil, was found in the house, the court heard.

The court heard the woman spent £50 a week on food, £20 a week on cannabis and the rest on bills.

Chairman of the bench, Brian Riddleston, described the kitchen as "generally squalid" and said she failed to take any steps to prevent her daughters from "obvious and serious harm."

Sentencing was adjourned.