A woman who abandoned her two young children to go drinking on Boxing Day received a suspended sentence in Red Deer court on Friday.
Marlena Tiffany House, 23, was given a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty earlier this year to two counts of child abandonment.
The children were aged six and three at the time they were left alone about 6 p.m. in a downtown Red Deer apartment.
A neighbour phoned police, who arrived shortly after the 9 p.m. call.
House returned home about 10:45 p.m. heavily intoxicated and was arrested and charged.
The children were taken by Alberta Children’s Services and placed under a temporary guardianship.
She was also fined $575 for a separate shoplifting offence from a downtown Red Deer grocery store.
Crown prosecutor Denis Huot told provincial court Judge John Holmes that he wanted a six-to-nine-month sentence for the abandonment charges.
Legal Aid Society of Alberta lawyer Murray Shack told court that House has made much progress since in an attempt to control her alcohol addiction.
She has taken counselling and has a full-time job.
“This is an almost unimaginable offence,” Shack said.
“This shows the affects of alcohol addiction,” he added.
Shack said the pre-sentence report indicated the probation office didn’t recommend jail.
Holmes told the woman she will be under a term of random testing for alcohol consumption and if she violates that term or any other term of the suspended sentence, she can be charged and brought back to court for sentencing.
House can make an application in July to get her children back from children’s services.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com