Two single mothers who left their young children locked in a cold and squalid flat for 12 hours while they went out drinking walked free from court today. The pair, aged 25 and 26, drank heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester before heading out to the pub at about 11pm and going onto a party where they stayed until 11am the next day. The six-year-old girl and boy, seven, had gone by the time they got back to the flat - having been collected by the police after a neighbour called at 5.40am to say the children were home alone. Avoided jail: The pair, aged 25 and 26, drank heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester before heading out to the pub at about 11pm and going onto a party where they stayed until 11am the next day . Officers found that the flat was cold, there was very little food in the kitchen and the only bedding was a thin and dirty duvet with no pillow, Gloucester Crown Court was told. The two mothers pleaded guilty to child neglect and were both sentenced to six months in jail suspended for two years, as well as a supervision order, offender programme and overnight curfew. Judge Euan Ambrose told the pair - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - he only spared them jail to avoid their children suffering further. The judge said: ‘Your decision to go out was utterly irresponsible. It amounted to the two of you putting your own selfish pleasures above the welfare of your children.’ Both children were taken into care after the offence but the boy - the son of the older woman - had been returned to her after four weeks. However, the younger woman’s daughter remains in foster care - although her mother has access to her under supervision three times a week. Sentencing: Gloucester Crown Court (pictured) was told that officers found the flat was cold, there was very little food in the kitchen and the only bedding was a thin and dirty duvet with no pillow . Describing the circumstances found by the police when they arrived at the flat, Mr Kesner said they initially knocked on the door but got no reply - although they could hear movement inside. An officer opened the letterbox and saw the children. He asked if anyone else was in the flat. The boy replied: ‘My mum went to the High Street but she wasn’t here when we woke up.’ Mr Kesner said ‘On looking at the children the officer could see they appeared frightened, uncomfortable and cold. The police therefore opened the door and the little girl was crying. ‘She said she didn’t have anything to wear on her bottom half of her body so the police looked in the boy’s bedroom to see if they could find anything suitable for her to put on. ‘In his bedroom they noticed what is described as his bedding being a thin dirty duvet with no pillow. There were hardly any clothes in the chest of drawers, just a single school uniform and two T-shirts. ‘The police looked for food in the fridge and the kitchen but it was almost bare. I think Your Honour has seen the state of the kitchen with hardly any food in it. ‘All the police noticed were empty bottles of wine and spirits. The little girl was asked when she had last eaten. This was a Saturday morning and she said the last she had eaten was breakfast on Friday morning.’ Both women had previous criminal convictions but not for any relevant offences, Mr Kesner said. The girl’s mum had a drug conviction on her record. Lloyd Jenkins, for the girl’s mother, said: ‘There are no excuses. On April 25 she was extremely selfish. She decided to have a night out and ignore the welfare of her daughter. ‘What she did was deplorable. She is ashamed of what she did and regrets her behaviour. She has said “I don’t know what came over me”.’ The woman had a history of depression, anxiety and alcoholism but since November last year had stopped drinking apart from a lapse over Christmas, he said. Her abusive partner was now out of her life having been sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment for grievous bodily harm, he added. Joe Maloney, for the boy’s mother, said the woman realised how stupid she had been and how much the children were at risk. ‘There have been no further difficulties since (her son) was returned to her,’ said Mr Maloney. ‘She is determined to ensure this sort of incident does not take place again.'
Pair aged 25 and 26 drank heavily at older mother's home in Gloucester .
Went to pub at 11pm before going to party where they stayed until 11am .
Girl, six, and boy, seven, had gone by the time they got back to the flat .
Police collected them after neighbour reported children were home alone .
Officers found very little food in kitchen and thin and dirty duvet in home .
Two single mothers who left their young children locked in a cold and squalid flat for 12 hours while they went out drinking walked free from court today. The pair, aged 25 and 26, drank heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester before heading out to the pub at about 11pm and going onto a party where they stayed until 11am the next day. The six-year-old girl and boy, seven, had gone by the time they got back to the flat - having been collected by the police after a neighbour called at 5.40am to say the children were home alone. Avoided jail: The pair, aged 25 and 26, drank heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester before heading out to the pub at about 11pm and going onto a party where they stayed until 11am the next day . Officers found that the flat was cold, there was very little food in the kitchen and the only bedding was a thin and dirty duvet with no pillow, Gloucester Crown Court was told. The two mothers pleaded guilty to child neglect and were both sentenced to six months in jail suspended for two years, as well as a supervision order, offender programme and overnight curfew. Judge Euan Ambrose told the pair - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - he only spared them jail to avoid their children suffering further. The judge said: ‘Your decision to go out was utterly irresponsible. It amounted to the two of you putting your own selfish pleasures above the welfare of your children.’ Both children were taken into care after the offence but the boy - the son of the older woman - had been returned to her after four weeks. However, the younger woman’s daughter remains in foster care - although her mother has access to her under supervision three times a week. Sentencing: Gloucester Crown Court (pictured) was told that officers found the flat was cold, there was very little food in the kitchen and the only bedding was a thin and dirty duvet with no pillow . Describing the circumstances found by the police when they arrived at the flat, Mr Kesner said they initially knocked on the door but got no reply - although they could hear movement inside. An officer opened the letterbox and saw the children. He asked if anyone else was in the flat. The boy replied: ‘My mum went to the High Street but she wasn’t here when we woke up.’ Mr Kesner said ‘On looking at the children the officer could see they appeared frightened, uncomfortable and cold. The police therefore opened the door and the little girl was crying. ‘She said she didn’t have anything to wear on her bottom half of her body so the police looked in the boy’s bedroom to see if they could find anything suitable for her to put on. ‘In his bedroom they noticed what is described as his bedding being a thin dirty duvet with no pillow. There were hardly any clothes in the chest of drawers, just a single school uniform and two T-shirts. ‘The police looked for food in the fridge and the kitchen but it was almost bare. I think Your Honour has seen the state of the kitchen with hardly any food in it. ‘All the police noticed were empty bottles of wine and spirits. The little girl was asked when she had last eaten. This was a Saturday morning and she said the last she had eaten was breakfast on Friday morning.’ Both women had previous criminal convictions but not for any relevant offences, Mr Kesner said. The girl’s mum had a drug conviction on her record. Lloyd Jenkins, for the girl’s mother, said: ‘There are no excuses. On April 25 she was extremely selfish. She decided to have a night out and ignore the welfare of her daughter. ‘What she did was deplorable. She is ashamed of what she did and regrets her behaviour. She has said “I don’t know what came over me”.’ The woman had a history of depression, anxiety and alcoholism but since November last year had stopped drinking apart from a lapse over Christmas, he said. Her abusive partner was now out of her life having been sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment for grievous bodily harm, he added. Joe Maloney, for the boy’s mother, said the woman realised how stupid she had been and how much the children were at risk. ‘There have been no further difficulties since (her son) was returned to her,’ said Mr Maloney. ‘She is determined to ensure this sort of incident does not take place again.'
heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester going onto a party where they stayed until 11am seven, had gone by the time they got back to the were home alone. Avoided jail: The pair, aged 25 and 26, drank heavily at the older mother’s home in Gloucester before heading out to the pub at stayed until 11am the next day . Officers found that the flat was cold, there was very little thin and dirty duvet with no pillow, Gloucester was cold, there was very little food in the