The father of a Brighton & Hove child that attended six per cent of lessons in the current school year has been fined and required to carry out community work.
 
Brighton Magistrates' Court heard that the 13-year-old child attended just 12 lessons out of 180 between September 2009 and February 2010.
 
Taking into account four previous convictions relating to three of their children the court handed the father a community order with an unpaid work requirement of 150 hours. He was also ordered to pay costs of £200.  Breach of a community order could lead to a re-appearance in court and re-sentencing that could include imprisonment.
 
Magistrates faced a dilemma in that the child’s mother suffers from agoraphobia and has not left the house in two years. The court granted her a conditional discharge for 12 months.
 
Breach of the conditional discharge could mean a sentence of up to £2,500 and or three months' imprisonment.
 
Last year both parents received a £75 fine with £175 costs for 14.8 per cent of attendance when the same child was 12 years old. The court also imposed a parenting order on the father
 
Other convictions included a daughter who attended 18 per cent of lessons where the court imposed a £50 fine with £50 costs for the father. The court imposed a £50 fine on the mother.
 
In 2007 both received a conditional discharge for regular non-attendance of a 15-year-old daughter who attended just 29 per cent of lessons.
 
Di Smith, Director of Children’s services, said:
"For the few parents that fail to ensure their child attends school this is signal that both the courts and the council will take action.”

For more information about Brighton and Hove Council view:
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk