A man and woman who carried out horrific neglect of four young children have been jailed for a total of two years. Shane Curran, 47, and Nicola McCall, 44, left the youngsters starving while living in a dirty "dump" of a house piled with rubbish in Glasgow.
One told how she was forced to steal money simply to get something to eat. Jurors heard how the children were exposed to drugs - including amphetamine - being in full view in the house.
Three of the young victims also suffered physical violence including one girl who described being "rag-dolled" by McCall. The pair were both found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of wilfully ill-treating and neglecting all four children.
The pair were also convicted of assaulting one girl. The jury further found Curran guilty of attacking a boy and McCall, another of the girls.
The charges spanned between April 2010 and August 2016. Curran and McCall were sentenced to 12 months each by Sheriff Stuart Reid at sentencing.
He said: "I'm satisfied that custody is the only appropriate option having regard to the nature of the offences."
In her speech to jurors, fiscal Carrie Stevens said there was a "consistent failure" by Curran and McCall to keep the victims "safe and comfortable" when they were with them.
The pair's house was described as "chaotic and sub-standard". Pre-recorded evidence from the children speaking about their ordeals was played during the trial.
One of the girls described the property as "disgusting" and that Curran and McCall "did not clean or really care". Regarding meal times, the court heard there was "never any food in the cupboards" with the children "regularly deprived".
The girl said: "I had to steal £100 to get food for me (and the other children) for about two days." Two of the youngsters also ended up suffering from severe head lice.
Jurors were told some of the victims were regularly punched, kicked, pulled and dragged by the hair. The moods of Curran and McCall, both from Glasgow, would change when they took drugs.
Describing one incident with McCall, the girl explained: "She rag-dolled me, flung me onto the ground and bashed my head off the door."
The trial also heard how illicit substances lying in the property dangerously "accessible" to the children. One of the girls was once left unsupervised on a balcony.
Miss Stevens told jurors: "You might remember (one of the girls) saying Curran and McCall 'did not care, so they did anything they wanted'. You might think that sums up the attitude of both and the sadness, frustration and confusion felt by the children."
Curran and McCall denied the charges while effectively claiming the victims were lying about the violence. Elaine Rae, defending Curran, told the sentencing: "He accepts a degree of neglect on the children and expresses his remorse about that.
"He is described as being disgusted with himself in relation to that."
Advocate Neil Shand, defending, McCall stated: "I genuinely don't think that she did not care about the children and their welfare. There is no doubt the children are better off where they are now than where they were.
"This is something that has affected her greatly and she will suffer for the rest of her life."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
