Mum appears in court over Wiltshire cruelty charge

The Chippenham mother, who cannot be identified after the courts made an order banning the publication of details likely to identify her children, pleaded guilty in June to a charge she wilfully assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned or exposed the girl in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury.

The charge relates to a five-month period between August and December 2017.

The woman, 30s, appeared before Swindon Crown Court this week, when she had been due to be sentenced.

However, after hearing there were outstanding legal matters relating to the case in Scotland which could have a bearing on the sentence the woman was likely to receive, Judge Peter Crabtree adjourned the hearing to October 31.

He told the mum: “This is a serious offence where the starting point is custody - and a long period in custody. But I do need to know all the relevant pieces of information and that includes what’s going on in Scotland.”