Blackburn police find child in room with vodka bottle as drunk mother slept upstairs with man who had climbed up drainpipe

Blackburn magistrates heard the officers found a half-empty bottle of vodka on the coffee table in the same room as the child.

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And when they went upstairs they found Samantha Rhodes in bed with the man who had been seen climbing in, prosecutors said.

Officers were unable to wake Rhodes without shaking her and she was clearly extremely drunk.

And the court was told the incident mirrored a similar situation in August 2013 which also resulted in a court case.

Rhodes, 22, of Queen Victoria Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to child neglect. She was made subject to community supervision for 18 months with an alcohol activity requirement, do 60 hours’ unpaid work and pay £200 costs.

Passing sentence, District Judge James Clarke said the offence was made more serious by the state of the property, the risk that arose because of her intoxicated state and the irresponsible leaving of alcohol and tobacco in the house.

“This was by any stretch of the imagination a complete abrogation of your responsibilities to your children, young and vulnerable as they are,” said District Judge Clarke.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said police were called at 6.15pm. They failed to get a response to shouting and knocking and when they looked through the window saw the child.

As well as the bottle of vodka they found an open pack of tobacco also within reach of the child. There was another child asleep upstairs and Rhodes was asleep in another room.

Miss Allan said in August 2013 police attended Rhodes’ home and heard extremely loud music coming from inside.

Colleen Dickinson-Jones, defending, said despite the offences Rhodes loved her children very much.

“She says they were asleep before she went to bed and if there was a problem she thought they would have come and woken her,” said Mrs Dickinson-Jones.

She said since the incident on November 1 Rhodes had not touched alcohol.