A woman abandoned a terrified nine-year-old boy in a remote wooded area, then attempted to cover her tracks by reporting him missing. Ashley McGovern, 31, drove the young boy to a desolate location in East Lothian, where she callously left him to fend for himself.
A large-scale search operation was launched based on McGovern’s false claims, and the boy was only discovered 24 hours later by a dog walker who heard his cries for help. The traumatised victim was found without shoes or socks, and subsequent tests revealed evidence of cocaine and alcohol in his system, suggesting he had been exposed to these substances before being abandoned.
The boy suffered severe injuries, including brain damage, and was left with permanent impairments. McGovern was charged and appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, where she pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting the boy, putting his life in danger.
She had initially faced attempted murder charges, including allegations of repeatedly striking the boy with a knife, but these were later dropped. McGovern, a first-time offender, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
On the day of the incident, September 9, 2022, the boy had spent time with McGovern and others, and was described as being in “good spirits” and his “usual self” as he played with friends. Around 7pm, the child entered McGovern’s vehicle and she drove him into the countryside, reports the Daily Record.
She parked her car in a lay-by next to Brock Wood near the quaint village of Spott in East Lothian. Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC noted that it was dark as the sun had set and there were no other light sources in the area.
He added: “The boy was known to be afraid of the dark.” The woods were muddy due to heavy rain earlier that day. Around 8pm, McGovern returned to her car, leaving the boy alone in Brock Wood.
He was dressed only in a short-sleeved polo shirt and jogging bottoms, with no food or water. A minute after getting back into her car, McGovern texted a man asking if he had seen the boy.
Concerned, the man immediately began searching for him. Initially, McGovern told her father that the boy was “missing”. She claimed she had left him near a man’s house to collect his bike and ride it home, but he hadn’t returned.
Approximately 80 police officers, a police helicopter, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard were deployed in a “significant search operation”. Meanwhile, McGovern repeated to the police the same story she had told her father about when she last saw the boy.
The young boy was discovered deep in the woods around 7pm on September 10, a full day after he had entered McGovern’s car. His discovery came about when a local resident heard a child crying and followed the sound with his dog.
The distressed child was found still wearing the same clothes from the previous night, but without shoes or socks. He was able to confirm his name, but appeared “extremely confused” and struggled to stand.
Nearby, two pools of blood were found. Emergency services were alerted and he was taken to hospital by ambulance.
The court heard that he had injuries to his chest and neck as well as a suspected ankle fracture. Further tests revealed he had suffered a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen.
Mr Cameron stated that his condition “deteriorated significantly”, which included seizures, sight issues and involuntary movement of the limbs. He ended up needing a wheelchair for mobility.
The advocate depute said: “During his time in hospital, he underwent extensive rehabilitation with assistance from physiotherapy, speech and language therapy as well as specialist neurology medical teams.”
The boy was only discharged on January 26, 2023. The court heard his condition has improved, but he continues to have weakness on his right-hand side which is likely to be permanent.
Mr Cameron said medics were stumped for some time as to the cause of the brain injuries.
A shocking twist emerged when one specialist, after examining the scans, suggested that the injuries might have been caused by cocaine ingestion. A urine sample from the boy, taken the day after his discovery, tested positive for traces of the class A drug and a related metabolite, along with evidence of alcohol consumption.
Mr Cameron clarified: “The tests cannot distinguish between cocaine and crack cocaine.”
On November 1, 2022, a hair sample was collected from the boy. The prosecutor explained: “This was capable of providing an indication of exposure to drugs over a period beginning in late June 2022. It is not possible to say with any greater precision when that exposure was nor in what quantity.
“The findings were, however, consistent with exposure on more than one occasion. Also present was a substance (giving) a possible indication of exposure to crack cocaine.”
It wasn’t until November 2023 that the victim was interviewed, as earlier attempts were deemed inappropriate.
Mr Cameron noted that while the boy did speak about the incident, his recollections were “confused and contradictory” about how he ended up in the woods or who was with him. The prosecutor added: “He did not state that McGovern was responsible.”
McGovern had been arrested shortly after the boy’s discovery but was released without charge. She was charged a week later, although she remained silent during questioning.
McGovern, recently residing in Haddington, East Lothian, pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice in court. The court heard little about her past, except that she was a “heavy” cocaine user who had debts with a local drug dealer at the time.
Her KC John Scullion said: “She is certainly not someone who finds it easy to provide information. There have been issues in her life most notably her misuse of drugs. She has taken steps to address that problem.”
Despite the defence advocate’s plea for McGovern to be granted bail until sentencing, Lord Young ordered her remand in custody, with the case postponed for reports until December 19 in Edinburgh.
