Concerned neighbours alerted police about child in soiled nappy on Stirling road

Concerned neighbours called police about vulnerable children in a Stirling street as the woman caring for them got drunk inside a house.

Sandra Christ, 23, had been drinking at a neighbour’s house after the electricity supply to her own property had been cut off.

At Stirling Sheriff Court, a fiscal depute said: “At around 10pm (a witness) contacted police due to hearing screaming coming from that address and due to her concerns for the children.

“(Another witness) was in her living room. She observed a young child wearing only a nappy in the road.”

The child tried to run away as the woman approached but she was able to catch up.

The prosecutor said: “She saw (the child) was wearing a nappy and that it had not been changed for some time.

“She walked towards the address in the hopes that the accused would come.

“For 10 minutes, no one came looking, therefore police were contacted.”

A short time later a second child was spotted outside the house by another neighbour, who quickly got dressed and went to search for the youngster.

Police were called due to their being “a great deal of concern”.

Window smash threat

Officers attended and found Christ smelling of alcohol.

She began to shout and swear, telling onlookers: “You all better watch – your windows are getting done.”

Solicitor Virgil Crawford, defending, said Christ was “thoroughly ashamed” by her actions.

He said she had had a troubled upbringing, with alcohol problems going back to her teenage years.

“What happens at this time is that she relies on benefits and she had no money so the electricity had run out

“Her neighbour invited her to stay there… which she accepted.

“The neighbour has difficulty with alcohol and then being in the same house Miss Christ has fallen back into old ways.”

Christ, of Raploch, had previously admitted neglecting three children under the age of five between May 3 and 5 this year.

She also admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner on May 5.

Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney noted Christ’s background issues and placed her on a structured deferred sentence.

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