Woman in court charged with abandoning children

Hamilton District Court. File photo / Greg Bowker

A Hamilton woman who allegedly left her two toddlers aged 11 months and two-and-a-half years at home alone while she went out for several hours has appeared in court.

The single mother in her early twenties was granted interim name suppression when she appeared in Hamilton District Court earlier today.

She is facing two charges relating to abandoning a child under the age of 6 after police were called to her Dinsdale home on Sunday about 3.30am where they found the older boy crying outside.

Inside the house, police allegedly found the 11-month-old baby crying in a cot among a couple of RTD cans and a sealed condom packet.

In his submission to the court, the woman's lawyer Roger Laybourn argued against the media present publishing her name or photograph saying she had some health issues including clinical depression and anxiety attacks.

The submission was successful and the woman was remanded without plea to re-appear in court on September 29.

The women's children were initially placed into Child Youth and Family care but are now being cared for by a family member.