A MOTHER “snapped” and assaulted her young daughter by dragging her out of bed by her hair and neglected her children, a court heard.

The mother-of-three from north Essex failed to properly feed, wash and care for her children over a period of time.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard concerns were raised when the mum, who the Gazette elected not to name to protect the anonymity of the children, shouted and screamed at an ambulance crew called to help her.

The ambulance officers became concerned about the state of the home and the “malnourished” children.

Things again came to a head when a family member paid a visit to the mother’s home and found the front door open.

The house was a complete mess, with two of the children sitting “unwashed and hungry” on the sofa while the mother slept in an upstairs bedroom, the court heard.

The family member saw the mother pull one young girl out of bed by her hair, before kicking the child across her lower back.

The children were removed from the home and the police were called.

When officers arrived the mother was behaving aggressively in a communal hallway, before confessing she had a Stanley knife in her pocket.

She admitted four counts of neglecting a child and one count of possession of a knife.

Annie Fraser, mitigating, said her client had “snapped and lost control of the situation” as her daughter had not been sleeping well.

“Clearly she was in a very bad situation, clearly she was a lady who as you have seen in the report mental health issues and also a problem with addiction and she was really not coping with caring for the three children.”

Judge Christopher Morgan sentenced her to 15 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

She must complete a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard the children had been placed in the care of others.

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