We Did Help Carlisle Toddler Found Living In Drugs Den, Say Social Services

Social Services chiefs today insisted that they did act on a tip-off about a Carlisle toddler who was found by police living in a squalid drugs den.

The father of the child was yesterday given a suspended three-month jail sentence.

Allan O’Shea was sentenced by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court after spending the weekend in Durham Prison.

The court had earlier been told how police who visited the home where he lived with the girl’s mother and the child had found it was stinking of stale urine and littered with used hypodermic needles.

Police took the girl into protective custody on April 6, 2008 and it emerged in court last week that Social Services had been given an anonymous tip-off about the child’s plight in January of that year.

It was initially suggested that Social Services had not intervened quickly enough.

Judge Paul Batty QC had adjourned the case last week saying he wanted to know what involvement Social Services had with the family.

Yesterday, the judge said he had received a letter from Cumbria County Council’s head of service at Social Services, Helen Smith.

That showed that the family were visited on various dates by officials, including on January 25 and on March 17 as well as a visit on February 22 from a housing association official in Carlisle.

On some of those occasions, said the judge, the clear indications were that the child was being “well cared for”.

The judge said that had he been given the information in Mrs Smith’s letter during the last court hearing, he would not have expressed the concerns he had.

O’Shea, 38, who earlier pleaded guilty to child cruelty by neglect, had admitted the conditions in which the child was living were not suitable for any youngster.

Passing sentence, Judge Batty told O’Shea: “This is a desperately serious matter.

“I hope that you understand, having spent four nights in Durham Prison, that you and the mother of this unfortunate child were in complete dereliction of your parental responsibilities at the time with which I am concerned.

The judge said the evidence clearly showed that the flat where the child was living was in a deplorable state. He added: “You and your partner were in the grip of a heroin addiction. There were syringes all over the place and the house stank. It was in a truly revolting state.”

As well as the suspended prison sentence, O’Shea was told he must do 80 hours unpaid work.

O’Shea’s partner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a 60-day suspended prison sentence when she admitted a similar offence before magistrates.

After the case, Cumbria Social Services said: “Cumbria County Council’s priority has been to make sure that the victim in this case has been made safe, and we can confirm that she is now in the care of foster parents and doing well.

“His Honour Judge Batty QC indicated in court that there was considerably more involvement from Social Services with the family than he’d previously understood.”

The statement said case records showed regular contact was maintained with the family and that referrals from the public were acted on to ensure the health and well being of the child was kept under observation.

The family was also supported to ensure the child was properly looked after.

Throughout the period in question there was evidence from Social Services contact with the family and from other agencies that the child was appropriately cared for.

“There appears to have been a rapid and serious decline in care being provided linked to the increased misuse of drugs which led to police intervention in April 2008,” added the statement.