Mum faces new charges

A Whanganui woman accused of leaving her baby locked in a car in public overnight is now facing further charges of leaving a child unsupervised.

She is said to have committed the second offence while on bail for the first.

The 30-year-old appeared in the Whanganui District Court yesterday, charged with leaving a child under 14 without reasonable supervision on January 15.

She also faced new charges of supplying methamphetamine, selling cannabis to three people, and driving while disqualified.

She appeared in court on January 7 on a charge of neglect.

It is alleged the woman was by a locked car, intoxicated, on Boxing Day. Police took her away to prevent her driving, but it is claimed she did not tell them the 1-year-old baby was in the vehicle. The child is not said to have been harmed by the alleged incident.

A charging document states the woman failed to provide the necessities of life by leaving the child "in a vehicle untended overnight in a public place" and said this was "a major departure from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person".

At her latest appearance the woman did not enter a plea.

Defence lawyer Anna Brosnahan said Peter Brosnahan had been assigned to the case.

Judge David Cameron remanded the woman in custody until next Tuesday.