Mum who abandoned children for holiday faces prison

A MOTHER who left her three young children with a schoolgirl babysitter while she enjoyed a two-week holiday in Turkey is facing jail after she admitted to wilfully neglecting them.

Kelly Ann Rogerson, also known as Piggford, was told by Darlington magistrates yesterday that she had failed in her responsibility as a parent after the bench heard that she left her two daughters and a son with a teenager in a one-bedroom flat this June.

The chairman of the bench, Clement O'Donovan, told her: "Entry point is a custodial sentence because three children were put at risk."

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Mr O'Donovan added: "The circumstances you left your children in were wholly unacceptable by any standards.

"As a parent, you have a responsibility to care for your children and you failed in this responsibility.

"By your guilty plea you accept the arrangements were totally inadequate, your children were placed at risk. You simply put yourself first."

He adjourned the case until 1 September for a pre-sentence report and said the bench might still send the case to Crown Court for sentence.

The court heard how Rogerson, 24, who wore a gold necklace with the word "Mum" for the hearing, initially went to Turkey with her oldest child in early June.

On her return, her partner allegedly attacked her after making accusations about her behaviour during the holiday.

Her partner also allegedly attacked her on a second occasion and is facing prosecution for two counts of assault, the court heard.

Rogerson and two friends then booked a second, two-week trip to the resort of Marmaris, starting on 13 June.

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Christopher Williamson, prosecuting, said Rogerson placed her children in the care of an unrelated teenager, whose name and age cannot be reported for legal reasons.

The defendant arranged for the girl and her children to stay in a friend's one-bedroom flat.

He said that Rogerson told the teenager to say that the children were staying with their maternal grandmother if their father asked.

She gave the babysitter her bank card and said she allowed her to withdraw 180 a week for the children.

Two nights later, when the landlady of the one-bedroom flat found the girl and three children were staying, she asked them to leave because it was overcrowded.

The babysitter then moved the children to the home of one of Rogerson's holiday companions, which was when the social services were informed.

Mr Williamson said: "They established [the babysitter] was in sole charge of the three children and took them into care straightaway."

He said that the children were found to be unharmed by the experience and that they were placed with Rogerson's mother.

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The defendant was arrested on her return to Durham Tees Valley Airport on 28 June and twice interviewed by police.

She at first claimed that the children were left with the babysitter's older brother, but later admitted that that was not true.

Chris Bunting, defending, said Rogerson had acted foolishly. "I think it is important to make clear that it is not a case of abandonment of children," he said.

"There is no evidence that the defendant's actions, directly or indirectly, have caused any harm to the children."

He said the children were now back with their mother and that the social services were visiting on a fortnightly basis, but no further proceedings were being brought.

After the case, Rogerson declined to comment as she left court, having been granted unconditional bail.

She did comment when she was tracked down by a national newspaper while still on holiday.

At the time, she told the Daily Mail: "I am really annoyed at people trying to criticise me because I've done nothing wrong.

"I can't believe people said I've abandoned my children. I left them clothed, fed and also left them money."

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