A woman left a nine-year-old boy in the woods and falsely reported him as missing.
On the evening of September 9, 2022, Ashley McGovern, aged 31, took the boy to Brock Wood, located near Dunbar in East Lothian.
He endured a terrifying ordeal, left overnight with no suitable clothing, shelter, food, or water. As a consequence, he suffered a range of injuries, according to a judge’s assessment.
McGovern continuously deceived both the police and the public about her whereabouts on September 9th and the last time she saw the boy, after leaving him behind.
Prior to bringing him to the woods, McGovern had also introduced him to drugs and alcohol.
In November, McGovern admitted guilt at the High Court in Glasgow for the charges of willful ill-treatment and neglect of a child, which could potentially cause unnecessary suffering and harm.
In addition, she confessed to trying to obstruct the legal process.
The 31-year-old received a three-year community payback order at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday. As part of the sentence, he is required to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and undergo regular “progress reviews”.
Judge Lord Young, in delivering the sentence, emphasized the gravity of the offenses and the profound harm inflicted upon the child. Consequently, a custodial sentence is the standard course of action due to the severity of the crimes committed.
The judge expressed concern, stating, “The child must have been terrified during that ordeal.”
He informed her that he had placed her in custody after she pleaded guilty last month, with the anticipation of sentencing her to prison.
According to Lord Young, McGovern has been dealing with mental health issues for several years, and the situation worsened during the Covid pandemic. This led her to resort to drug use.
The judge also mentioned that she had shown “authentic remorse” for her actions. He further acknowledged her efforts in overcoming her drug addiction, stating that it was a commendable achievement on her part.
Lord Young remarked that the individual failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for leaving the child overnight in the woods. However, he acknowledged that this behavior may have been influenced by the individual’s drug addiction and the challenges they were facing in their life.
He issued a warning, stating, “If you violate any aspect of this order, you could find yourself back in front of me and facing sentencing for these offenses, as if no order had been issued. This could potentially result in imprisonment.”
McGovern, who was attending the hearing from Stirling prison via remote connection, couldn’t hold back tears as the judge pronounced the sentence. Dressed in a pink T-shirt, his emotions were on display for all to see.
John Scullion KC, the lawyer representing the accused, described the case as “sad and difficult”, acknowledging the need for punishment.
According to the defense attorney, the client in question is a vulnerable individual who has a history of mental health issues. The attorney further explains that the client has been grappling with a drug addiction since the pandemic, which has unfortunately disrupted the positive life she had worked hard to build.
During the interview with McGovern, one of the specialists noted that she experienced a state of panic and described a sudden shift in her mindset that day.
“She characterized her subsequent decisions as uncharacteristic.”