Truant mother fails to turn up at court

Jul 4 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A WARRANT was issued yesterday for the arrest of a woman convicted a fourth time of failing to ensure her children went to school.

North Durham magistrates sitting at Consett issued the warrant after Christine Davison, 39, of Third Avenue, Chester-le-Street, was found guilty in her absence of failing to ensure her daughter Sarah, 16, or son Jason, 14, attended Roseberry Sports and Community College between last December and June.

Davison will be taken into custody to ensure she appears at court.

Caroline Sinclair, prosecuting for Durham County Council, said Jason had failed to attend a single school session out of 172 and Sarah had attended on 35 occasions out of 172.

Education welfare officers had visited the house 17 times in six months.

On several occasions Jason refused to get out of bed.

Once, Davison had excused Sarah’s absence by saying she had an eye infection, even though education officers pointed out that her eyes looked fine and she was wearing eye makeup.

Magistrates issued a warrant after deciding Davison had rejected numerous offers of help. Last time Davison appeared in court for similar offences, last December, the chairman of the bench David Balls told her: “You came very, very close to receiving a custodial sentence.”

Instead he gave her 12 months’ community service and ordered her to attend education training sessions.

Last year, Davison’s sister, Linda, 40, of Congburn View, Pelton, was convicted for a third time of failing to send her son to the same school. She was sentenced to a 12-month supervised community order.

Head of access and inclusion for Durham County Council’s children’s services, Maureen Clare, said: “As a last resort, we will not hesitate to prosecute parents for non-school attendance.

“For young people to have the best possible start in life they need to get the best out of their time at school.

“We give every support to parents who are having difficulties getting their children to attend school, and in the majority of cases our efforts are very successful.”