A childminder who admitted to wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care has been jailed for two years.
Amanda Mathewson, 55, looked after many more children than the eight she was allowed, and at one point 27 were found at her home in Dunfermline, Fife.
Some of the children were found unsupervised in the garden and others were strapped into prams in an upstairs room.
The offences took place at a number of addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere between September 7, 2023 and August 26, 2024.
They all involved children under 16 – with some being less than a year old.
Mathewson took 'various steps' to deceive parents and organisations about her conduct.
This included requiring parents to text her before coming to collect their children, and keeping other children hidden inside rooms when they did so.
And she was given inside information about an upcoming unannounced inspection by an unknown member of Care Inspectorate staff.
Today Sheriff John MacRitchie told her she had committed a 'gross abuse of a position of trust' and 'knowingly' created a situation in which 'injury, terror and neglect were obvious and foreseeable.'
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in October, Mathewson admitted wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health.
Amanda Mathewson, 55, (pictured) previously pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care, at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where dozens of local parents attended
At the same court on Friday, Sheriff John MacRitchie sentenced her to two years in prison.
Mathewson, who was present in court and wearing a black dress, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.
Dozens of parents attended the sentencing, while more than 20 watched via an online feed.
Handing down his sentence, the judge told Mathewson: 'Your qualifications and experience mean you understand the developmental vulnerability of babies and young children, the need for constant supervision, (and) the obvious risks created by leaving them without an adult.
'The potential for catastrophic harm was enormous.'
Police swooped on Mathewson after two parents became suspicious when informed she had been spotted on a school run without their child, who she was also caring for, on August 26, 2024.
They watched her travel to the school, saw their child was not present with her, and then went to her home, where they found children left on their own, shut away and screaming.
They found the front door unlocked and five school-aged children waiting in the garden.
Sheriff MacRitchie said: 'Upstairs was a group of very young children – including the parents' sons.
'Two children were strapped in pushchairs. The children were described as obviously distressed.'
He told Mathewson: 'You have left children without adult supervision for – on that occasion – at least 30 minutes.
'That was the second occasion on that same day the children had been left alone.'
Up to a dozen young children were shut in the spare bedroom.
When she was arrested a short time later, she had 15 children aged under 12, ten children under primary school age, and two children under the age of one in her care.
Mathewson (left) is seen arriving at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday, where she was jailed for two years
She was only supposed to be looking after eight children at one time, only six of whom could be under 12, and one under 12 months.
A father who was one of the parents to enter the property told the BBC how Mathewson 'slumped to the floor' when she returned home to find them inside.
'I'll never forget it, she was like a child caught in the act of doing something they shouldn't be doing,' he said.
'She took her jacket off and she just slumped to the floor. I asked her; 'Amanda, what the hell? How many laws have you broken here?'
'It's obvious to us now. Her entire life was a lie. She has fabricated pretty much her entire life, her entire personality. It just crumbled in an instant.'
Speaking after the sentencing, one parent said that 'justice has been done today'.
'We feel quite gratified that the sheriff has clearly recognised the seriousness of the offense and the period of offending and the potential risks to the children,' she said.
'We've fought from the very beginning to actually have the whole situation taken seriously.'
Another parent said: 'One of the hardest parts for me has been rebuilding the trust with my children, because they believed we knew what was happening and chose to send them anyway.'
She said one of her children had been left to change babies' nappies, and had to 'sneak biscuits because they didn't get to eat anything'.
She added: 'We are all working professionals. We needed flexible, affordable childcare, and that allowed [Mathewson] to pull the wool over our eyes because we needed her.'
In October, a court was told how children would become 'upset' when taken to the childminder's home.
Concerns were also raised that children had not eaten while in her care and that children would return home thirsty, the court heard. Other issues were reported by parents, including their children returning home in dirty nappies.
Mathewson was also seen multiple times in public by parents with fewer children than she was supposed to be looking after.
On one occasion, she attended a church Christmas party with three children, despite having nine children in her care that day. Another time she was seen attending a sports day and a visit to Dunfermline fire station with fewer children than she was responsible for.
Court documents said that Mathewson would play loud music and not let parents into the home at drop-off time to 'conceal how oversubscribed she was'.
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for about 30 years before she was arrested in August 2024.
She had been given a glowing report by the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection on August 7, 2023 – just weeks before her offending began.
An internal probe by the body found that it was 'highly likely' she had been tipped off about the inspection by a staff member. Despite the investigation, it is still not known who leaked the information.
It could now face legal action after parents of affected children instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell Scotland to 'explore pursuit of a civil action'
The report rated her 'very good' on all measures, and said children were being cared for in a 'comfortable, welcoming and homely environment' and with 'warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach'.
It said: 'Amanda Mathewson operates a childminding service from their home in a residential area of Dunfermline, Fife.
'The childminder may provide care to a maximum of eight children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of six will be under 12, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months.'
Following sentencing, a spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: 'This was a shocking case and our thoughts are with those affected.
'Amanda Mathewson broke the trust of families and children, and the crime for which she is responsible has been dealt with by the courts.
'The Care Inspectorate has listened carefully to parents who raised concerns with us and we have reviewed how we work following learning from this case.
'This has included updating our inspection, complaints and conflict of interest procedures.
'We have provided new ways to submit feedback on childminders both during and out-with inspections.
'We have also provided clearer resources to help families understand what to expect from their childminder.
'It is important to note that this case does not reflect the wider childminding sector. The overwhelming majority of childminders in Scotland provide safe, nurturing care for children, with more than 90% receiving grades of good or better at inspection.'
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