FIVE members of a family appeared in court yesterday after allegedly hatching an elaborate plot to hide a nine-year-old girl from social services.
The family, who cannot be named, feared she would be made the subject of a court order after her 11-year-old brother was taken into care.
The boy had been removed from the family home they shared with their parents and grandparents in January 1999 when Sunderland Social
Services alleged his mother had fictitious illness syndrome.
The girl's parents, grandparents and aunt then plotted to keep the girl and enlisted child welfare campaigners to help.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how the girl's grandmother fled to Ireland with the youngster, before being met by Stuart Carnie, 37, who travelled with them through Ireland and Scotland to a safe-house organised by Pauline Thomson.
Christopher Knox, prosecuting, told how, with Carnie's help, they hid the child for four weeks in February before being caught as a result of "careful and diligent police work".
The girl's grandparents, aunt, Stuart Carnie, of Aberdeen, and Pauline Thomson, 38, of Stirling, all deny conspiracy to abduct a child. The girl's parents deny aiding and abetting the abduction
The trial continues.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article