Childminder left 27 youngsters house alone – with some strapped in prams and ‘distressed’
Amanda Mathewson, 55, looked after many more children than the eight she was allowed by law and“repeatedly” left children at her home unsupervised, with some even strapped into prams
Amanda Mathewson, pictured at a previous hearing(Image: BBC)
A childminder who admitted leaving children she was caring for alone and unsupervised in her home has been jailed for two years. Amanda Mathewson, 55, looked after many more children than the eight she was allowed.
And at one point 27 were found at her home in Dunfermline, Fife, a court heard. Some of the children were found unsupervised in the garden and others were strapped into prams in an upstairs room.
Evidence showed she had “repeatedly” left children at her home unsupervised. Sentencing her at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday, Sheriff John MacRitchie said more than 90 victim impact statements had been submitted by those affected.
Mathewson has been jailed for two years(Image: PA)
The offences took place at a number of addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere between September 7 2023 and August 26 2024. They all involved children under 16 – with some being less than a year old.
Mathewson used “various steps” to conceal her wrongdoing from parents and organisations, the court heard. These included requiring parents to text her before coming to collect their children, and keeping other children hidden inside rooms when they did so.
Concerns were raised when some parents noticed their children – who she was meant to be looking after – were not with her when she made a school run on August 26 2024.
She admitted wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care (Image: PA)
When they went to her home they found the front door unlocked and five school-aged children waiting in the garden. Sheriff MacRitchie said: “Upstairs was a group of very young children – including the parents’ sons. Two children were strapped in pushchairs.
“The children were described as obviously distressed.” He told Mathewson: “You have left children without adult supervision for – on that occasion – at least 30 minutes. That was the second occasion on that same day the children had been left alone.”
Other parents had noticed their children were coming home thirsty, or with immaculate clothing despite Mathewson claiming they had eaten “messy meals”.
She was sentenced at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court (Image: Daily Record)
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for about 30 years before she was arrested in August 2024.
She admitted wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health at a previous hearing in October. On Friday, Sheriff MacRitchie sentenced her to two years in prison.
He told Mathewson: “Your qualifications and experience mean you understand the developmental vulnerability of babies and young children, the need for constant supervision, (and) the obvious risks created by leaving them without an adult.
“The potential for catastrophic harm was enormous.”
He said her conduct involved “planning and premeditation”, and that she had “followed a course of deception and has taken various steps to avoid parents being aware of the fact that far too many children are being accepted into her care”.
Mathewson, who was present in court and wearing a black dress, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down. Her lawyer Alan Jackson had described her in court as a “people pleaser” who couldn’t say “no” to parents even if she was fully booked.
However the sheriff rejected this, saying since she was getting paid for the extra children her actions had been for “financial gain”.
Dozens of parents attended the sentencing, and they quietly celebrated in the public gallery when Mathewson was jailed. More than 20 watched proceedings on an online feed.
Speaking afterwards, one mum said “justice has been done today”, adding: “We feel quite gratified that the sheriff has clearly recognised the seriousness of the offence and the period of offending and the potential risks to the children.
“We’ve fought from the very beginning to actually have the whole situation taken seriously.”
Another parent said: “One of the hardest parts for me has been rebuilding the trust with my children, because they believed we knew what was happening and chose to send them anyway.”
She said one of her children had been left to change babies’ nappies, and had to “sneak biscuits because they didn’t get to eat anything”.
She added: “We are all working professionals. We needed flexible, affordable childcare, and that allowed (Mathewson) to pull the wool over our eyes because we needed her.”
Mathewson had been given a glowing report by the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection on August 7, 2023 – just weeks before her offending began.
The report rated her “very good” on all measures, and said children were being cared for in a “comfortable, welcoming and homely environment” and with “warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach”.
Following sentencing, a spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “This was a shocking case and our thoughts are with those affected.”
