A NEGLECTFUL mother sat in a drunken stupor in a puddle while her toddler in soaking wet clothes shivered nearby in a pushchair, York Magistrates Court heard.

Jessica Lister, prosecuting, said members of the public rescued the youngster by taking him into a nearby house and warmed him up.

The 37-year-old mother, of Selby, pleaded guilty to child neglect. She is not being named to protect the child.

District judge Adrian Lower told her: “You were drunk. You were sat in a puddle. You could not possibly have cared properly for your son.

“You are clearly a person who needs help, you have needed it for some time.

“It has taken for you to be picked up out of a puddle in York to realise that, which is very sad indeed.”

He gave her a 12-month community order with 30 days’ rehabilitative activities and 150 hours’ unpaid work and a ban on contacting her son without court approved supervision.

She must also pay £85 prosecution costs and an £85 statutory surcharge.

Graham Parkin, for the mother, told York Magistrates Court she was the victim of an abusive relationship by a controlling partner.

She had turned to drink and had been drinking far too much. On the day she was found in the street, her partner had given her a bottle of wine to “keep her quiet” while he went out.

She was no longer living with her partner and she was getting help from IDAS.

An IDAS spokesperson said: “

We would urge anyone affected by domestic abuse or concerned for someone they know to contact us on our helpline 03000 110 110.”