Holiday mother put on probation

Amanda Woods plans to appeal against her sentence

A mother who left her four children while she enjoyed a sunshine holiday has been put on probation for two years.

Amanda Woods asked her 16-year-old sister to care for the youngsters, aged between three and nine, while she jetted off to Tenerife.

Her negligence was only discovered when vandals set fire to an old sofa outside the family home in Warrington, Cheshire and fire crews had to rescue the children.

The children, who are now in the care of their paternal grandparents, were treated in hospital for the effects of breathing in smoke but were not seriously injured.

What worries me is the fact that you still don't recognise that what you did amounts to neglect

Mr Justice David Hale

After a five-day trial at Warrington Crown Court last month, Woods was found guilty of four counts of neglect.

Barrister Michael Davies said his client wanted to be permanently reunited with her children and was willing to co-operate fully with social services.

Imposing a two-year community rehabilitation order, Mr Justice David Hale said he had not given Woods a jail sentence because the children had not been harmed.

He said: "You, as a mother of four children between the ages of three and nine, behaved in a selfish way. You paid little attention to the true needs of your children.

'Potential for harm'

"What worries me is the fact that you still don't recognise that what you did amounts to neglect.

"That is why I think a community rehabilitation order is necessary to give you some insight into the way in which children should be reared.

"I don't punish you otherwise because in the event no harm came to these children.

"What the case was concerned about was the potential for harm."

Woods had pleaded not guilty during the trial on the grounds that her parents and other friends had agreed to help look after the children, although they were alone with their 16-year-old aunt when the fire occurred in January 2000.

Appeal planned

Reading from a statement outside court, her solicitor said: "Amanda Woods is disappointed with the verdict.

"She considers the arrangement that she made for the care of the children to be appropriate.

"She is concerned about the public misconception that the children were left only with her sister.

"They were in fact left with their two grandparents, two regular babysitters, and her sister.

"She is advised that grounds for appeal exists and an application for leave to appeal will be lodged next week."