SA:Abusive mother lived in squalor in Vic

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2010
SA:Abusive mother lived in squalor in Vic

A court's heard a mother jailed for abusing five of her children in Adelaide's so-called
house of horrors lived in similar squalid conditions in Victoria.

Lawyer BILL BRAITHWAITE's told the Supreme Court that the children she had at the time
were left dirty and unkept .. food littered the floor .. and there was a constant smell
of faeces and urine reported by welfare authorities.

He says when the mother .. who can't be named .. moved to Adelaide to live in 2008
she transported that environment to a home in the city's northern suburbs.

The woman is serving a minimum three-year sentence after pleading guilty to abusing
five of her children .. including refusing them food .. beating them and forcing them
to stand in line all day.

Another woman .. TANIA STAKER .. who was portrayed as the ringleader of the abuse ..

has also pleaded guilty to similar offences of endangering life and creating a risk of
serious harm.

She's appeared before the court today for sentencing submissions along with three men
.. who also lived in the Adelaide home.

LUKE ANDREW ARMISTEAD .. the father of the five children .. ROBERT ARMISTEAD and MICHAEL
BENJAMIN QUINLIVAN were all found guilty of the same offences after a lengthy trial.

The four people are expected to be sentenced in the new year.

AAP RTV tjd/af

KEYWORD: ABUSE (ADELAIDE)

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