Neglect mother spared jail term

Rogerson has been spared prison for child neglect

A woman who abandoned her children to go on a two-week holiday in Turkey has been spared a prison sentence.

Kelly Ann Rogerson, 24, from Darlington, County Durham, flew to Turkey in June, leaving the three children with a schoolgirl babysitter.

Rogerson, also known as Kelly Piggford, admitted three counts of neglecting her young son and two daughters.

Appearing before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe, she was given a six-month prison term suspended for 12 months.

Rogerson flew out to the Turkish resort of Marmaris with two friends leaving her cash card and children with the unrelated babysitter, also a child, in a one-bedroom flat.

The babysitter was given permission to withdraw £180 a week from her bank account.

The only reason for not imposing an immediate sentence is for the welfare of your three children Magistrate Harry Fletcher

But two days after Rogerson left, the landlady of the flat asked the girl and the children to leave because it was overcrowded. Social services were later informed and the children were taken into care.

Chris Bunting, defending, said Rogerson was a caring mother. He said: "She has brought up three lovely, healthy children in a clean and safe home environment.

"Social Services are quite happy with the situation and are quite happy that her children remain at home with their mum.

"This young woman has been vilified for what she has done. There is no law that says how old a babysitter has to be.

"It was the inadequacy of the arrangements that let her down and makes her guilty of neglect."

Chairman of the bench, Harry Fletcher, told Rogerson: "The welfare of a child is, and should be, of paramount importance.

"The only reason for not imposing an immediate sentence is for the welfare of your three children."

Rogerson hugged her mother after the hearing but declined to comment.