Evil woman abandons terrified boy, 9, in woods and then claims the child was missing

A woman abandoned a terrified nine-year-old boy in a remote woodland in - and then attempted to cover her tracks by reporting him missing.

Ashley McGovern, 31, drove the youngster to a remote spot in East Lothian and then left him there, before weaving a web of lies to police. A massive search operation was launched based on McGovern's false claims, with the boy only being found 24 hours later through chance, by a dog walker who could hear the young boy crying. The traumatised victim was discovered without shoes or socks, and subsequent tests revealed 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 where she pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting the boy and putting his life in danger.

She had initially faced attempted 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.

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On the day of the despicable 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. At 7pm, a young boy entered McGovern's vehicle and she drove off into the rural landscape, eventually stopping at a secluded lay-by near Brock Wood by the quaint village of Spott in East Lothian, reports .

Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC revealed that darkness had enveloped the area as the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving no light source nearby. He pointed out: "The boy was known to be afraid of the dark."

The day's heavy rainfall had turned the woods into a quagmire. At around 8pm, McGovern returned to her car without the child, who was left alone in the woods wearing only a short-sleeved polo shirt and jogging trousers, with neither food nor water for sustenance. Within a minute of getting back into her car, the heartless McGovern texted a man to inquire if he'd seen the boy. His concern led him to immediately start searching. Initially, McGovern deceived her own father by stating the boy was "missing".

She fabricated a story about dropping the lad off near a man's house to pick up his bike and cycle home, but claimed he never came back. A massive search involving roughly 80 police officers, a helicopter, mountain rescue teams, and the coastguard ensued, described as a "significant search operation".

Meanwhile, McGovern stuck to her false narrative when questioned by the police, mirroring the lies told to her father. At around 7 pm on September 10, a full day after the boy had entered McGovern's vehicle, his cries led a local man and his dog to find him deep in the woods, bloodied, scared, and off the beaten track. Still wearing the clothes from the night before but missing shoes and socks, he was distraught and could barely stand, managing only to confirm his name while appearing "extremely confused".

Close by were two pools of blood. Once discovered, emergency services rushed him into an ambulance for hospital treatment where it was found he had not only suffered chest and neck injuries, but also a suspected ankle fracture.

Devastatingly, tests also showed a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation. As his condition "deteriorated significantly", including seizures and movement issues, he was left dependent on a wheelchair.

Following intensive rehabilitation, involving physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, as well as neurology experts, the child was discharged on January 26, 2023. More than three months after he was kicked out of McGovern's car and left in the middle of nowhere.

Though improved, he now faces a likely permanent weakness on his right side, revealed Mr Cameron, with the true cause of his brain injury having puzzled medical professionals for some time.

A specialist, after examining the scans, suggested that the injuries could 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 it was previously considered inappropriate. Mr Cameron noted that while the boy spoke about the incident, his account was "confused and contradictory" about how he ended up in the woods or who took him there. The prosecutor added: "He did not state that McGovern was responsible."

McGovern was arrested shortly after the boy's discovery but was released without charge. She was charged a week later but remained silent during questioning.

In Haddington, East Lothian, McGovern confessed in court to attempting to thwart justice. Details about her life were sparse during the hearing, except for the mention of her past as a "heavy" cocaine user who had debt with a local dealer when the offences transpired.

Her KC John Scullion commented: "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."

McGovern's legal representative argued for bail continuation until sentencing; however, Lord Young, the presiding judge, decided to keep the 31-year-old in prison pending pre-sentencing reports. Her sentencing is currently set for December 19 in Edinburgh.