Mother-of-four left children in squalor at home

The mother of children found naked and living at home with broken glass, rubbish and excrement on the floors has been given a 18-month community order.

The mother-of-four from Gwynedd, who cannot be named to protect the identities of her children, admitted four charges of neglect.

The woman's neighbours became concerned after hearing a fire alarm in the home and no apparent response, Caernarfon Crown Court heard

Finding kitchen utensils melting on the cooker, neighbours then saw two naked children inside the property.

The defendant was said to "not understand what was asked of her" when the neighbours inquired about the whereabouts of her other children, with one later found asleep in the lounge.

Police later found clutter and rubbish on the floor, dirty nappies, a broken glass bottle and the bath "smeared in excrement" and footprints showing a child had walked through excrement, the court was told.

Medicines were also seen on a worktop, which were said to be "easily accessible for a child", with a smoke alarm in the lounge also having been covered with a plastic bag.

The defendant said she had fallen asleep and had "panicked" but later admitted she was "finding it hard to cope".

She said she usually cleaned the house every week, but "knew it was in a bit of a mess".

'Foul, unsanitary mess'

In an earlier hearing she admitted she "wilfully assaulted, ill treated, neglected, abandoned or exposed" each child in a manner "likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health".

The court heard the defendant had "complex needs" and was "in need of help", living with "a number of mental health conditions" and having suffered trauma as a child.

She was also said to love her children and hoped to restore contact with them in future.

Judge Timothy Pets described the conditions in the home as "foul" and an "unsanitary mess", but acknowledged the defendant’s "significant mental health problems".

"You did not cope with how bad things were getting", he said.

"You need a prolonged period with mental health professionals".

Acknowledged to have "made strides towards sorting out her life", she will be offered mental health support alongside her community order.