Drug abuse left children neglected

A couple spent the majority of their household income on drugs, leaving their two children with little food in a home that was sometimes without electricity, a court was told.

The man and woman, from Taranaki, have each pleaded guilty to two charges of ill treatment/neglect of a child under 18 years of age between August 2016 and June 2018.

The defendants cannot be named in order to protect the victims.

The neglect case came to light in June 2018 and was precipitated by an argument the man and woman had over their relationship issues and ‘‘not pot’’ – the common name given to synthetic cannabis.

The police summary of facts outlined how the male defendant moved out of the house and days later the children left as well to stay at another address.

Both children were spoken to by a specialist police interviewer on June 13 where they disclosed there had been a lack of food in the house for long periods, the prepaid electricity in the home often ran out and the defendants had been using cannabis and its synthetic equivalent.

‘‘The children were aware and disclosed that the majority of their household money was spent on drugs rather than on food for the family,’’ the summary of facts stated.

The children’s mother was on a benefit and would also be paid cash every week by the boarder. The male defendant was a truck driver and was paid weekly.

The pair shared a joint account and their shopping habits revealed some money was spent on items like luncheon meat, soft drinks, biscuits and chips. However, the summary of facts said the food was eaten quickly, leaving nothing in the house for the rest of the week.

‘‘The victims often went without meals.’’

A pre-paid electricity account was used at the house and the power would often be switched off because the money had run out. This left the house cold and dark and the family resorted to candles for light, the summary said.

Information gathered by police found the youngest child would accompany the defendants when they went to get drugs. ‘‘The younger victim would play outside the vehicle while the defendants consumed their purchased not pot in the car.’’

The pair will be sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court on December 14.