Last updated 12:05, Thursday, 25 September 2008

A mum was charged with child neglect after police found a child living in an “uninhabitable” home with cat and dog faeces littering the floor.

The woman, from Mirehouse, Whitehaven, has been sentenced to a community order including 50 hours of unpaid work and a 12 months’ supervision.

She admitted two charges of child neglect and was also made to pay £60 costs.

John Coffell, prosecuting at Whitehaven, told District Judge Gerald Chalk that police found the house “uninhabitable”.

There were dog and cat faeces on the floor, a cat litter tray was overflowing and boxes of wine and empty cans were on the floor, he said.

The court heard the woman, who cannot be named, had also missed medical appointments and not collected prescriptions for her son.

She had difficulty with alcohol but was trying to address that.

Simon Ward, for the woman, said that a family bereavement had left her devastated.

“Up until then she had been an excellent mother,” he said. Mr Ward said after the death she started to drink.

His client had also been looking after her parents, which was stressful.

“At no point has she expressed any self-pity about these matters or sought to blame anyone else,” said Mr Ward, adding that she had been seeking help for her alcohol problem.

“She feels a lot better for it and is being far more positive,” he added.

Judge Chalk said she was a woman of previous good character and accepted that the offences arose, in part, by her bereavement. He also said she had made serious efforts to put things right.

A man will appear before Whitehaven magistrates on September 26 in connection with the case.