Woman who left boy in woods overnight avoids jail

A woman who abandoned a boy in a dark wooded area before claiming he had gone missing has avoided a jail sentence.

Ashley McGovern drove the boy to Brock Wood near Spott, East Lothian on 9 September 2022 and left him without shoes or socks for 24 hours, sparking a major search.

The nine-year-old was found with a brain injury, injuries to his chest and neck and evidence of alcohol and cocaine in his system by a dog walker who heard him crying.

McGovern, 31, was placed under supervision for three years and ordered to carry out 300 hours unpaid work after admitting wilfully neglecting the boy to his severe injury, permanent impairment and danger to life at the High Court in Edinburgh.

McGovern, of Haddington, in East Lothian, also admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

She had been "unable to explain" why she left the boy in the woods.

During sentencing, Lord Young told McGovern she had admitted "extremely serious offences".

He said she had suffered from clinical depression and anxiety linked to low self-esteem for many years but has made "great strides" towards getting her life together.

Lord Young said a custodial sentence "would be the norm" but was persuaded that he could deal with her by the imposition of a non-custodial sentence.

Warning: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting

On the day he was abandoned, the boy was said to be in "good spirits" as he played with friends.

He had been in the company of McGovern and others earlier in the day.

The boy got into McGovern's car at about 19:00 and she drove to the countryside before parking in a lay-by close to the wood.

Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC said the sun had set at the time and there was no other light source in the area.

He told the court: "The boy was known to be afraid of the dark."

McGovern returned to her vehicle about an hour later leaving the boy with no food or water. He was wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt and jogging bottoms.

She sent a text to a man asking if he had seen the boy, and the man immediately began looking for him.

McGovern initially told her own father that the boy was "missing".

She claimed to have dropped the child off near the house of a man she knew for him to collect his bike and ride it back, but he had not returned.

She repeated the same claims to police.

About 80 police officers, the force helicopter as well as mountain rescue and the coastguard were deployed in a "significant search operation", the court heard.

The boy was finally discovered at about 19:00 the next day after a resident heard a child crying.

The man went with his dog and followed the sound until he found the boy deep in the woods off a path.

He was able to confirm his name but was "extremely confused" and struggled to stand.

The boy was still wearing the same clothes he had on the previous night, but he had no shoes or socks on.

Two pools of blood were nearby.

Emergency services were alerted before he was stretchered into an ambulance and taken to hospital.

The court was told how he had injuries to his chest and neck as well as a suspected ankle fracture.

Further tests revealed he had suffered a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen.

One specialist said his brain injuries could have been due to the ingestion of cocaine, which was found in a urine sample taken from the boy after he was found.

A hair sample was taken from the boy in November 2022 which indicated he had been exposed to drugs over a period beginning in late June 2022.

It was difficult to say exactly when he was exposed or with what quantity, but the findings suggested he had been exposed on more than one occasion.

The boy was not interviewed until November 2023 as it was not deemed appropriate before then.

Defending, John Scullion KC told the court McGovern "felt a sense of panic" and described feeling "something flipped in her mind" on the day of the offences.

He said she had been introduced to cocaine at the beginning of the Covid lockdown and quickly became dependent on the drug.

Mr Scullion said by September 2022, the drug had started to impact on her relationships with others.

He said she had taken steps to deal with her issues and added: "She has had mental health issues throughout her adult life, issues with anxiety and depression."