Home / News / Drunk mothers locked one year old daughters at home then fought when they’d locked themselves out Drunk mothers locked one year old daughters at home then fought when they’d locked themselves out

Two women, Jessica Ward 22, and Molly Couch 21 left their one year old daughters at home alone, after drinking three bottles of wine, whilst they went to look for shoes. Police responded as the pair from Fleetwood, Lancashire started arguing and swearing at each other on the street upon realising they had forgotten their keys and couldn’t regain access to the house.

Admit child neglect

Both the women admitted child neglect as Blackpool Magistrates heard how firefighters had to gain entry to the house through a window in order to assist their two children, who were crying in the front bedroom.

Events of the night

The Court heard that on September 17th, Molly Couch had taken her baby round to Jessica Ward’s home where they drank three bottles of wine. Around 11.00pm the pair left the house to pick up shoes back at Couch’s home, leaving the children in their cots. Police were then called at around 11.40 following their street brawl over who had forgotten to take the keys.

Pair “fought each other”

Prosecutor, Chrissie Hunt, told the Court the defendants had to be separated as they “fought each other” in the street. “Both parties said they had been drinking and were locked out and the two young children were alone inside,” the Prosecution continued. The Court heard how both defendants had been “verbally abusive” to each other and how one of the children could be heard crying. The prosecution stated that neither Ward nor Couch were in any “fit state” to be caring for the children.

Previous caution

Ward, a care assistant, had received a caution on a previous occasion following a drunken argument with her then boyfriend, when her now 17 month old daughter, was just three months old.

Defence say “stupid error”

Ward’s defence said that she accepted she was drunk and that she had forgotten to take her keys, stating that although the single parent does drink to excess, she does not do this every day, however she doesn’t know when to stop. Couch, a previous football club promotions officer, also admitted she had been drunk and had left the children alone. The defence said that she accepted it was a “stupid error” and that she had put her child in danger for thirty minutes but pointed out that the child had not suffered. The children were made the subject of a police protection order and were placed with their grandparents by Social Services.

Sentencing

After telling the pair they had put their children at risk and got it “very badly wrong”, District Judge, Jeff Brailsford, sentenced both defendants. Ward received a custodial sentence of 26 weeks but this was suspended for 18 months, and she was also made the subject of an 18 month supervision order. Her sentence also has a condition to wear an electronic tag for 16 weeks. Couch also received a custodial sentence of 12 weeks; this was suspended for 12 months. Couch also received a supervision order for 12 months and was ordered to undertake a six month alcohol treatment programme. In addition to their sentences they were both ordered to pay £85.00 costs and £80.00 victim surcharge.

“Greatest gift in the world”

Judge Brailsford told Ward that it was one of the worst cases of letting a child down, telling her that a child is the “greatest gift in the world” and said he didn’t understand what they thought they were doing. He reminded her that it is a “massive obligation” for a parent to look after a vulnerable child, and that although she had been given another chance to care for her child, he had “grave concerns” regarding her co-operation.