A WOMAN convicted of being drunk in charge of a child in Wrexham town centre claimed it was caused by her medication.

A staff member at the Guildhall raised the alarm when she saw the woman on The Green in August.

North East Wales magistrates were told the council employee was concerned that a little boy had been left unattended.

She saw the mother, 28 and from the Wrexham area, leave him and not return for half an hour.

When she came back the child had gone out of sight and the mother was looking for him.

The witness heard the defendant speak and her speech was slurred.

She left the child again and went to sit between some trees with her back towards her six-year-old son.

The defendant then moved to another location for some 10 minutes and did not once look back at him.

Officers were called because of her concern that the mother was intoxicated.

Police formed the opinion that she was intoxicated and the boy was taken into the care of his grandmother.

Interviewed, she claimed her speech was slurred because of her medication.

Defence solicitor Emma Simoes said the defendant had been in a relationship which did not help with her rehabilitation.

“She has realised that she cannot continue like this,” she told the Mold court.

Miss Simoes said since the offence she had undergone a detoxification course and was now completely free of drugs.

She looked better than she had for a long time and she intended to remain drugs free and would try to get the full time care of her son again.

The court heard the boy was in the voluntary care of his grandmother and she had regular access to him.

She appreciated now more than ever that she needed structure in her life and to maintain the good progress she had made.

Probation officer Tracey Flavell said the defendant did not accept she was under the influence of alcohol at the time but said that it was down to her medication which had been increased.

She was on methadone and she had taken more pain killers than she should have.

The defendant did accept that potentially she had put her son at risk because of her condition.

The defendant denied the charge at a previous hearing but was convicted. In the circumstances, she received a conditional discharge for a year.

The defendant also admitted shoplifting and going equipped to steal with a de-tagger hidden in her bra.

She was fined £100 and told to pay £203 compensation, £300 costs and a £85 surcharge.