Home alone

York Magistrates Court heard how neighbours rescued the small child through a downstairs window when they heard him crying inconsolably, said prosecutor Jane Chadwick.

Inside was a lit and hot fire, and the television was on.

Undergraduate student Sabine Fischer was looking after the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, while its parent was at work. But, at 8.30pm, she was nowhere to be seen when the neighbours responded to his cries. Not until more than four hours later, did she phone the police about the boy. She claimed she had only left him alone for 20 minutes and denied leaving the fire on.

Fischer, 22, of Towton Avenue, off Tadcaster Road, York, pleaded guilty to an offence against a child and was given a two-year conditional discharge.

Magistrates told Fischer: "This offence has obviously brought great shame upon you, and that is as much a penalty as the penalty we are going to give you."

Mrs Chadwick said Fischer told the police she had left the child on January 23 to go and buy milk from a nearby store.

She had not taken the boy with her because he was asleep and she did not want to disturb him. So she drove off, leaving him behind. On the way back, she had decided to look at some houses. She was living in rented accommodation, knew she would have to find somewhere to live and had not had time that day to look around.

Mrs Chadwick said that neighbours became worried about the child at 8.30pm when they heard it crying for some time.

The child was distraught, but calmed down once the neighbours started looking after him. They stayed with him until police arrived an hour later and took care of him.

The child was later reunited with his mother.

Antony Farrell said: "She is extremely remorseful.

"It is an impulsive one-off occasion."

He added that she feared that the conviction could affect her plans for a career in maths working in secondary schools. She was in her second year at the University of York.

Updated: 11:30 Friday, March 17, 2006