No jail for fugitive mother found in dinghy on Jersey

A BRITISH mother who spent years on the run with her children before washing up in an inflatable dinghy on the island of Jersey has walked free from court.

The mother-of-two fled Canada with her sperm donor and young daughter, leaving her wife distraught and local police scrambling to track her down.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, entered a relationship with her sperm donor, with whom she subsequently had another child, and evaded capture for three years despite Interpol issuing a Red Notice.

Her travels took her to England, France, the Netherlands, the Middle East and possibly to Spain and Portugal, police said.

The girl’s other mother described the time of her daughter’s disappearance as “the lowest of lows”.

The woman was finally caught after arriving in Jersey with her two children and parents in July 2019 in a 13ft inflatable dinghy – despite attempts to deceive immigration staff. All three had pleaded guilty to making a false representation under immigration law.

The mother was convicted after a four-day trial at the same court in December of two charges of exposing a child to risk of harm.

Her parents were convicted of two charges of aiding and abetting exposing a child to risk of harm.

They were each given six-month prison sentences, suspended for 12 months, and fined £500.

They must also pay costs of £1,600 between them.

Peter Harris, the assistant magistrate, said: “These were rather unique circumstances which are unlikely to be repeated.

“Together they were using Jersey in an attempt to avoid compliance with a Canadian court order.”

He acknowledged efforts made to reduce the risk of harm to the children, and that no harm was actually sustained.

But he added: “The waters around Jersey can be very dangerous. Both children were exposed to a risk of harm.”