'Disgust' at Blackburn mum who left children home alone (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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'Disgust' at Blackburn mum who left children home alone
9:38am Tuesday 17th November 2009 in
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- By Sam Chadderton » Reporter
‘DEFINITELY Britain’s worst mum’ was the verdict of one of Rebecca Stevenson’s furious neighbours yesterday.
Blackburn mum, 22, left four children home alone for 24-hour binge
Stevenson she was given a suspended sentenced after pleading guilty to four charges of child cruelty, leaving them home alone to go on a 24-hour drink and drugs binge.
Jane Tofts, herself a mother of three, from nearby Infirmary Street, said residents in the area had been talking about the case and were all ‘disgusted’.
She said: “I think it is disgraceful and a real shame for those kids.
"She must have had people around that could help her out.
"My youngest child is 11 and I wouldn’t dream of leaving her alone for that amount of time.I’m gobsmacked.
"She calls herself a mum: that’s not a mum.”
Next-door neighbours Chester Murphy, 40, and his wife Julie, 50 – grandparents of six – said they were planning to move out because of Stevenson’s all-night partying and noise.
Meanwhile a councillor has criticised the decision not to jail Stevenson.
The judge could have issued a jail sentence of up to two years.
Coun John Milburn, whose ward covers the area where Stevenson lived, said: “This has not sent out the right message.
"The fact that she’s not got an immediate jail sentence will not deter other people.
“I’m a grandparent and it’s just something which is a parental instinct never to leave your children of that age unsupervised.”
Detective Inspector Jill Johnston, who led the investigation, said it was disgraceful behaviour from a mother who failed to provide appropriate care.
She said the professionalism of the police had ensured the children did not suffer serious injuries.
Blackburn MP Jack Straw said he was appalled.
Gladys Rhodes, strategic director of Blackburn with Darwen children’s services, said they could not comment on individual cases.
The two girls are now in the custody of Stevenson’s maternal grandparents, and the boys are with their natural father in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Comments(15)
chrislancs
says...
10:03am Tue 17 Nov 09
Jimmy Paterson
says...
10:11am Tue 17 Nov 09
Barb Dwyer
says...
10:17am Tue 17 Nov 09
Hellboy
says...
10:37am Tue 17 Nov 09
red souless excuse for a human being suffers terribly for the rest of her wasted and meaningless life...Let's hope that she is victimised in the street at every opportunity.Who knows,eventually,she may do the decent thing and do herself in...Total Scum!
petew27
says...
2:04pm Tue 17 Nov 09
Harleygirl
says...
2:11pm Tue 17 Nov 09
happycyclist
says...
2:23pm Tue 17 Nov 09
Harleygirl wrote:Good point, Harleygirl.
Oh aren't these neighbours wonderful! All coming out of the wood work to criticise now & say what a shocking mother this person is. Where are the details of the neighbours concerned calls to the authorities???? There aren't any that's why...you are actually worse than the mother because you saw what was happenig and selfishly turned a blind eye to the childrens suffering. Shame on you all!
And the fathers -where were they?
chrislancs
says...
3:12pm Tue 17 Nov 09
king kevin
says...
3:13pm Tue 17 Nov 09
happycyclist wrote:And the fathers - where were they? lmfao
Harleygirl wrote:Good point, Harleygirl.
Oh aren't these neighbours wonderful! All coming out of the wood work to criticise now & say what a shocking mother this person is. Where are the details of the neighbours concerned calls to the authorities???? There aren't any that's why...you are actually worse than the mother because you saw what was happenig and selfishly turned a blind eye to the childrens suffering. Shame on you all!
And the fathers -where were they?
typical woman comment not all fathers are like that. Im a single dad who has custody of his own son because his mum was this type of person. I didnt get any help from the social services or any other organisations because none of them know what they doing. In the end he was found outside his younger brothers school crying his eyes out in a terrible state before anything was done about it by the courts.
RAZ786
says...
6:04pm Tue 17 Nov 09
Harleygirl
says...
6:04pm Tue 17 Nov 09
king kevin wrote:I dont these are typical womens comments. You are a rare man who wanted his children, many dont...they want single life and weekend visits...fact! Did you not explicitly ask for help...or did you do as this girl did...put on a brave coping face which people believed. It's a very convincing act, I would say even more so from a man.
happycyclist wrote:And the fathers - where were they? lmfao typical woman comment not all fathers are like that. Im a single dad who has custody of his own son because his mum was this type of person. I didnt get any help from the social services or any other organisations because none of them know what they doing. In the end he was found outside his younger brothers school crying his eyes out in a terrible state before anything was done about it by the courts.Harleygirl wrote: Oh aren't these neighbours wonderful! All coming out of the wood work to criticise now & say what a shocking mother this person is. Where are the details of the neighbours concerned calls to the authorities???? There aren't any that's why...you are actually worse than the mother because you saw what was happenig and selfishly turned a blind eye to the childrens suffering. Shame on you all!Good point, Harleygirl. And the fathers -where were they?
billyburges
says...
9:14pm Tue 17 Nov 09
moggy669
says...
10:52pm Tue 17 Nov 09
They are not the selfish scum who went out getting smashed and left 4 poor kids alone.
Get a grip, she should never be allowed near children again.
Pathetic excuse for a mother.
Nad
says...
1:24am Wed 18 Nov 09
You seem to be putting the blame for her criminal actions on everyone but her. It's soley down to her; not her neighbours or the boys who sired the kids (she probably doesn't know who they are 100% anyway)
Don't forget it was her own family that brought it to light!
In my mind the judge who dealt with her is almost as bad; that in itself is an indictment as to why she (Stevenson) is what she is!
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THE HOUSE: Abraham Street, Blackburn
NEIGHBOUR: Jane Tofts
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akon says...
10:00am Tue 17 Nov 09
Should have been jailed !