Newport truant, 16, costs mum £350 fine (From South Wales Argus)

Newport truant, 16, costs mum £350 fine

11:50am Tuesday 9th February 2010

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A NEWPORT mum was fined £350 for not sending her son to school after he only went three times in almost two months.

Wendy Ryan, 38, did not turn up at Cwmbran Magistrates Court yesterday and magistrates found the case proved in her absence.

Magistrates heard Ryan, of Livale Court, Bettws, failed to make sure her 16-year-old son Connor Davies went to Bettws High School between August 31 and October 23 last year.

During this time, the teenager only showed up at school three times.

The court heard a statement from Sarah Gibbons, a Newport Council education welfare officer with responsibility for Bettws High School.

She said Ryan told her she was not sure if her son could go back to the school following a break-in there over the summer holidays which he received a caution for.

However, the court heard he was not excluded.

The mother also said her son has done a lot of "growing up" and wants to achieve something in his final year at school.

Connor was given a reduced timetable to allow him to focus on Maths and English lessons, but this did not improve his attendance, the court heard.

Magistrates were told Miss Gibbons visited Ryan's home twice on September 18 to discuss what could be done, but got no response.

By September 28, a first warning was sent by post to Ryan telling her of her son's poor attendance.

Connor met Miss Gibbons at the school on October 5 and said he did not think he had to go as he was now 16, but was told he had to stay until the last Friday in June.

With his failure to go to school carrying on, a final warning was sent to Ryan on October 13 before she was summoned to appear at court, magistrates heard.

Miss Gibbons said contact from Ryan, who was convicted of the same offence in February last year and given a 12-month discharge, was "minimal."

As well as the fine, Ryan was ordered to pay £142 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

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