A childminder who left 27 children alone in her home has been sentenced to two years in prison. Amanda Mathewson admitted wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care.
Offences and sentencing
The 55-year-old looked after many more children than the eight she was allowed, and at one point 27 were found at her home in Dunfermline, Fife. Some of the children were found unsupervised in the garden and others were strapped into prams in an upstairs room.
The offences took place at a number of addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere between September 7, 2023, and August 26, 2024. They all involved children under 16, 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 coming to collect their children, and keeping other children hidden inside rooms when they did so.
Court proceedings
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.
At the same court on Friday, November 6, Sheriff John MacRitchie sentenced her to two years in prison. Mathewson, who was present in court and wearing a black dress, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.
Dozens of parents attended the sentencing, while more than 20 watched via an online feed.
Background and inspection
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for about 30 years before she was arrested in August 2024.
She had been given a glowing report by the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection on August 7, 2023, just weeks before her offending began. The report rated her “very good” on all measures, and said children were being cared for in a “comfortable, welcoming and homely environment” and with “warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach”.
It said: “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.”
