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Two parents have been jailed for leaving five children in squalid conditions while they smoked weed.

At Lee Carnell and his partner Sarah Lamb’s home, mouldy food was discovered, there were only four beds between seven people.

There was a foul smell, and human excrement was smeared on walls near people’s toothbrushes.

One of the girls had been assaulted and one of the boys was banned from using the toilet at night so was forced to urinate in his room.

‘There was cannabis located in areas within reach of the children, little food in the cupboards, mould visible on food, no carpeting, with glass on the floor, only four beds available for seven people, with no bedding and dirty nappies everywhere. It’s a description of squalor,’ said Judge Peter Kelson.

Carnell, 32, and Lamb, 33, of Hull, admitted a series of child cruelty offences involving five children – four girls and a boy all aged under 12.

Lamb was the mother of all of them and Carnell was the father of the youngest three.

Hull Crown Court heard police were alerted in July 2019 after concerns were raised about the children and they were taken into care.

Carnell told the police the house smelled because they didn’t have a vacuum and because of a water leak.

Defending Carnell, Richard Butters told the court: ‘This defendant really has tried to move on from this dreadful phase of his life,’ said Mr Butters.

The home in Hull was ‘awful’ and, on many occasions, he had been doing a reasonable job with the children, he said.

He said: ‘He was doing his best. He fell short. He made some very bad errors and mistakes.

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‘These two have certainly failed the children, that’s without question. They have failed these children but, over the years, they have also tried to do some good.

‘I am not making any excuses about that. The parents tried to do some reasonable things with the children within their capabilities. The impact on the children, he finds very hard to live with.’

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, representing Lamb, said she had not had any contact with Carnell recently and this had a significant positive impact on her life.

She said Lamb had managed to stabilise her mental health and was now drug-free after a previous cannabis addiction.

Judge Kelson ‘The pair of you were responsible for bringing up these five children and your neglect of them was such that they suffered badly.

‘All five children were 18 months behind in their development. The prosecution contend that this is serious neglect.

‘It’s plainly a case of the utmost gravity. In so many ways, these children have been damaged and damaged badly.

‘It’s an assault without a beating in many ways. It’s assault by neglect. Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.

‘This is a case requiring a deterrent sentence. It’s a case where parenting has fallen so far below the acceptable standard.’

Carnell, who pleaded guilty at a very late stage, was jailed for two years. Lamb, who had been laughing and joking before going into court, was jailed for 18 months.

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