A toddler ended up "screaming hysterically" and hanging from the window of a second-floor flat 20 feet above ground when a woman went to go shopping, a court has heard.
Bahar-Sibela Saban, 21, has been convicted of child neglect after she and another woman left a flat in Kirkgate, Perth, where they were looking after a number of children on the afternoon of November 1, 2022. Saban was found to have neglected a two and three-year-old child in her care, one of whom was seen hanging "precariously" from the flat window.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Saban, from Edinburgh, and her companion had left the home to buy food at around 3.35pm, taking two children with them. People spotted the toddler - who was among children left behind as they were reportedly sleeping - as they walked by outside.
Edinburgh Live reported that fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton told the court that the witnesses rushed inside the building after spotting the distressed child. He said: "The accused and her friend decided to go out and buy food at 3.35pm. They took two of the children with them and the rest were fast asleep in bed.
"At 4pm witnesses were walking nearby when they heard a child screaming hysterically." After rushing inside, Mr Hamilton said, the witnesses brought the children down to the street. He continued: "They noticed there was no adult present, so they brought the children down to safety in the street. At 4.05pm the accused returned."
Solicitor Paul Ralph, who represented Saban, said the incident "caused frights all round", and Sheriff Alison McKay, admonishing the defendant, said she would "never" leave children alone again. She said: "The report says she is aware she cannot leave children alone and will never do so again. Everybody got a fright."
The sheriff continued: "I hope you will have gathered that you were very, very lucky that nothing happened to these children. Children can be fast asleep and then come to harm the next minute if you turn your back. The children were asleep when the decision was made to leave the flat. When the children wake up things go badly wrong. I am going to work on the basis that this was a lesson learned for you."
