Children abandoned in fly-infested flat filled with rubbish

Kelly Marie Sleith left the youngsters with just £10, some bread and the clothes on their backs, Greenock Sheriff Court has been told.

Sleith, 38, pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting the children - who were aged under 13 and under 16 at the time - for two whole weeks.

They were discovered by police in the disgusting Port property, with officers describing the smell coming from the place as 'overpowering'.

Sleith wasn't arrested until more than a year later after police in England eventually caught up with her in Yorkshire.

After showing Crown evidence photos to Sheriff Morag Fraser, procurator fiscal depute Ashley Pollock said officers here were initially contacted in relation to a disturbance in the street.

Prosecutor Ms Pollock said: "Officers attended and the door was answered by one of the children who struggled to get out from behind the door due to the rubbish.

"[The child] was extremely pale and gaunt looking and there was a strong smell of damp coming from the home.

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"Officers entered and smelled damp, rotten food and faeces."

The court heard that Sleith, who no longer lives in Port Glasgow, had left a fortnight before police turned up.

She had left the children with just a few pounds but 'occasionally' sent takeaway food for them to eat.

Fiscal depute Ms Pollock said: "[The eldest child] said they were mainly drinking coffee and the other child was mainly drinking tea and eating the occasional sandwich.

"[They were] wearing a heavily stained school uniform.

"The older child was caring for the younger child and was clearly struggling.

"The property was extremely unhygienic. Piles of general waste were littered throughout the flat and officers could not see any floor space.

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"There was electricity but no light bulbs in any of the rooms. The meter had just £2 remaining."

One of the bedrooms in the home was said to have been 'inaccessible' due to 'copious' piles of rotten rubbish piled three or four feet high.

The living room had an 'excessive' amount of waste, while sanitary towels and insects were found all over.

Ms Pollock added: "There was an uncountable number of dirty dishes, open cans of food, a large number of out-of-date milk cartons and there was a strong smell of decay.

"The children advised police that the only clothes they had were those they were wearing.

"There were countless fruit flies and it was difficult for officers to remain there."

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The children were removed from the property and taken to Greenock police office for their own safety, where they were given fresh clothes and food.

The court was told that Sleith left the property in August 2020, stating she was going to visit a friend in England and would be back a week later. 

Defence solicitor Marcell Horvath said Sleith, who has no previous convictions, was arrested south of the border more than a year later, in October 2021.

At previous callings of the case, the lawyer had put forward a possible defence of reduced criminal responsibility, however, following psychiatric tests Sleith was assessed as being fit and without any mental disorder.

Referring to the case as 'unusual', Mr Horvath said that while Sleith 'doesn't have a very good recollection of the time period', she 'has nowhere to go for this charge'.

Court papers stated that the children were left in conditions that were 'damp, unhygienic and covered in rotten food and domestic waste, soiled sanitary towels and excrement, causing an infestation of flies and insects'.

The charge added that Sleith 'failed to provide them with adequate food and nutrition, clothing, heating, lighting and bedding' and left them unsupervised for several days.

Sentence was deferred until October 18 for the preparation of background reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment.