A childminder who left 27 children unsupervised in her home has been sentenced to two years in prison. Amanda Mathewson pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care.
The 55-year-old was looking after significantly more children than her permitted limit of eight. At one point, 27 were discovered at her property in Dunfermline, Fife. Some youngsters were found unattended in the garden, while others were strapped into prams in an upstairs room.
Offences across multiple addresses
The offences took place at several addresses in Dunfermline and beyond between September 7, 2023, and August 26, 2024. All of the victims were under 16 years of age, with some being less than a year old.
Mathewson took "various steps" to deceive parents and organisations about her conduct. This included requiring parents to text her before collecting their children and keeping other children hidden inside rooms when they did so.
Court sentencing and background
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in October, Mathewson admitted wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health, reports the Daily Record.
On Friday, November 6, Sheriff John MacRitchie sentenced her to two years in prison. Mathewson, present in court wearing a black dress, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down. Dozens of parents attended the sentencing, with more than 20 others watching via an online feed.
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for approximately 30 years before her arrest in August 2024. Weeks before her offending began, she had received a glowing assessment from the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection on August 7, 2023.
Previous inspection rating
The report awarded her a "very good" rating across all measures, noting children were being looked after in a "comfortable, welcoming and homely environment" and with "warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach".
It stated: "Amanda Mathewson operates a childminding service from their home in a residential area of Dunfermline, Fife. The childminder may provide care to a maximum of eight children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of six will be under 12, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months."
