A mother and father from the Haverfordwest area have appeared in court for failing to send their children to school regularly.

The parents, who cannot be named due to a court order, appeared at separate hearings at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Monday, April 16.

Magistrates found the father guilty following a trial of three charges of failing to ensure that the pupils attended school on a regular basis last year.

The court heard that the children’s attendances fell below the legal percentage rates.

Rhian Young, prosecuting for Pembrokeshire County Council, told the court that the children’s attendance had not improved following contact from the school, or warning letters, and the local authority had offered help with transport.

Mike Kelleher, defending the man, told the bench that his client did not live in the family home, and did not have direct day to day control over his children.

The mother pleaded guilty to the same charges. Jonathan Webb, defending, told the court that she accepted it was her duty to ensure that the children attended, but had been struggling with her children’s various difficulties.

“She is out of her depth and struggling to tread water.”

Mr Webb added that the woman had welcomed the professionals into her home, and was not ‘putting her head in the sand’ as far as her children were concerned.

Both parents were given 18 month conditional discharges, the man was ordered to pay a total of £520 in costs and charges and the woman will pay £750.