Mum brands own son scum after neglecting his step-child so badly he went half blind A mum branded her own son scum after he neglected his 12-year-old step-child so badly he ended up half blind. The vulnerable youngster and his two-year-old sister were kept in a filthy, stinking and fly-infested house, with him eventually losing sight in his left eye from cataracts. Parents Gillian Hendry and Craig Dick, both 34, were jailed for a total of almost five years last month after they pleaded guilty to child neglect. Appalling Conditions: The 12-year-old boys bedroom was absolutely filthy Over six years, social services in Stockton, Teesside, missed numerous chances to intervene and help the boy who resorted to scrawling Help me on a wall outside his dirty bedroom. Now, step-gran Sharon, Dicks mum, has spoken for the first time, agreeing with people calling her son scum. Oblivious Mum: Gillian Hendry was given a prison sentence for her awful treatment of her son The 53-year-old, who stayed housebound following online comments her son and Hendry should be hanged, said: I am in a nightmare I cant wake up from. Craig and Gillian were always making excuses why we couldnt call round, especially over the past few months. If theyd only have let us in we would have helped them, cleaned the place up, taken action. Craig never grew up to be unclean. I can understand why people write scum. Id feel the same. Neglectful Step-dad: Craig Dick was also sent down by a judge for his woeful parenting The Mirror can also reveal more details from a leaked social services report, revealing how devious Hendry, from Thornaby, Teesside, barred social worker access to anywhere but her living room. Her son, who was finally rescued in August last year, was not even registered with a dentist or an optician. A social worker, writing in the report, said: “Miss Hendry appeared to be oblivious to George’s eye and claimed to be unaware that he was unable to see.” And the official blasted the boys secondary school for failing to spot the child had been blind for SIX MONTHS, after he had previously received attentive concern from an ex-primary school nurse. Sharon says she finally got inside the home after the boy was removed by social services and spent eight hours just cleaning the bathroom. Utter Squalor: It took social services EIGHT HOURS to clean the family bathroom The boy, described as unhygienic, uncommunicative and desperately unhappy, developed crippling arthritis, leaving him at risk of severe disability, but his parents never took him to scheduled hospital appointments. Aged six, he was still wearing baby pull ups, and one school nurse visiting the chaotic home discovered it had mice infestation and no heating or hot water. The house staircase was dirty, with trodden-in food and bin bags stuffed with dirty nappies. The girl’s cot had a damp and mouldy mattress. A bedroom had been used as a toilet, with excrement found on the walls, while the children’s beds had filthy mattresses and no covers. A Serious Case Review into the boys appalling treatment is ongoing, led by Stockton Borough Council. mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-brands-son-scum-after-4541765#rlabs=8
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:28:06 +0000
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