A Dunfermline childminder has admitted leaving more than 20 children unsupervised in her home. Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to neglect and abandoning children in her care.
The court heard that Ms Mathewson had 27 children in her home, which was 19 more than she was licensed to look after. Her offending took place at various locations in Dunfermline and elsewhere in Fife.
Police were called after two parents, suspicious that their children were not with Ms Mathewson during a school run, found five unattended children in her garden. Upon entering the unlocked house, they discovered a child crying under a kitchen table and nine more children, all under five, in an upstairs bedroom, with two strapped into prams. Police later attended, and Ms Mathewson stated the children had been left alone for at least 30 minutes.
Ring doorbell footage reportedly showed this was the second time that day the children had been left alone. A Care Inspectorate report from August 2023 indicated Ms Mathewson was registered to care for a maximum of eight children at any one time.