A young mother who left her 18-month-old daughter in a nappy filled with faeces and maggots for four days has avoided jail, despite being sentenced to six months in prison. Shay Ellen Bilney, 26, pleaded guilty to criminal neglect in Adelaide District Court last month, but the sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond.
The court heard that in early July 2023, a social worker visited Bilney's home in Whyalla, South Australia, and found two children in urine-soaked pyjamas. Bilney agreed to take her daughter, who had nappy rash, to the doctor and was not charged at that time. However, days later, Bilney's uncle visited and found no food for the children, with the toddler's severe rash covering her groin, inner legs, and lower back.
Four days later, Bilney called her uncle, saying, 'You better come and get these f***ing kids because I can't be f***ed getting up for them.' He found the children on a couch with a strong smell of urine and faeces. The 18-month-old was covered in faeces from the waist down, with maggots in her nappy and blistered skin from her toes to her groin, consistent with prolonged contact with urine.
Judge Michelle Sutcliffe told Bilney: 'Your daughter appeared to be wearing the same nappy she was in four days earlier. The skin changes were so severe that (the victim) was at significant risk of secondary infection without medical attention.' A search of the home revealed baby bottles with spoiled milk, an ice pipe, and a small bag of crystalline substance in Bilney's bedroom.
The court heard Bilney turned to methamphetamine use after a miscarriage in 2023, and her childhood exposure to drug and alcohol abuse and violence meant she lacked key life skills. Judge Sutcliffe noted the offence occurred in the context of 'exceptionally poor mental health, and a lack of support, rather than malicious intent.' Bilney gave birth to a third child after being charged, and all three children have been removed from her care.
