A mother of three young children has avoided jail, despite leaving her kids aged four, six, and 12, home alone overnight to go clubbing.
The unnamed 40-year-old from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, left her children at home to spend a day shopping with a boyfriend before going on to the Coronet club in London to party.
The Daily Mail reports she took an overnight bag with her as she was planning on staying out for the whole night, leaving her children to fend for themselves.
Police were called to the club after the mother and her boyfriend had a heated row. She told police she had left the three children at home, but claimed they were with a babysitter.
However when Essex Police called at the family home, no one answered the door, despite lights being on inside. It was only when the mother was told police would force their way into the house that she admitted her three children - all girls - were home alone without an adult.
Basildon Crown Court was told the mother left a phone for the girls to use, but did not have a mobile with her, so they could not contact her.
She avoided a prison sentence, and was given a 12-month supervision order, having pleaded guilty to wilfully assaulting, neglecting, abandoning, exposing or ill-treating children, in a way likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury.
Peter Clark, prosecuting, said: "There are no previous convictions but there was a police caution from four years ago for child cruelty.
"She abandoned three children aged between nine months and nine years and was given a police caution."
Mitigating, Paul Vickers said the woman had previously suffered domestic violence and was unable to say 'no' when her partner suggested going out for the evening.
Judge Davies said: "Here we have for the second time, little girls left alone to fend for themselves whilst their mother thinks only of herself.
"It was her choice to leave her children, to take a change of clothes and go to a night club and to plan on staying in a hotel.
Sentencing he told the woman, Judge Davies said: "You abandoned three little girls aged 12, six, and four.
"The picture appears to be very clear. You put your own pleasure and desires before their safety and left them at great risk."
After the sentence was passed, the woman told the court: "I am so sorry. I am very sorry to everyone here. I will never do it again."
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