Cruel Leeds stepdad left five-year-old locked out in the garden on his own as he went shopping
Witness also saw him slap tot
A cruel stepdad was hauled before the courts after leaving his stepson out in the garden in the cold as he went shopping.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity, avoided a jail sentence this week.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the police were called shortly before 5pm on May 21 last year by a concerned neighbour in the north-west Leeds suburb.
They reported that the child was alone and crying in a back garden.
The five-year-old was found by officers distressed and cold, prosecutor Eddison Flint said.
The boy’s parents had gone out and left him. They arrived back and both were obstructive towards the police, asking why they had attended.
The mother initially claimed the boy had been left with a friend but could not provide a name.
The mother then tried to justify leaving the youngster because of his behaviour, saying she was “living in hell”.
The police spoke with the neighbour who said that she had seen the stepdad slapping the child three days before.
The man was arrested and gave a prepared statement during his interview, admitting he had left the child on his own.
The man has no previous convictions and admitted two counts of child cruelty.
The court was told that the boy had ADHD and was being assessed for autism.
Little mitigation was offered but it was heard that the man had since undertaken a course to help him be a better father, and that the boy’s biological father approved of him.
Judge Howard Crowson said jail would “undo the work” the stepdad had done, so opted to give him a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work.