Mother ‘disregarded her sacred duty’

A mother who “disregarded her sacred duty” and neglected her five young children “to the point of cruelty” has been sentenced to four years with the last two-and-a-half suspended.

The children were underfed, badly clothed and even at 11 were not toilet trained. The oldest boy’s teeth were rotten because he was so hungry he was forced to eat from a stolen bag of sugar.

The court heard the three boys and two girls, who were aged between four and 11 when first taken into care, were left with severe and long term psychological difficulties.