'I handed my son over to a predator'

WOMAN, 44, WHO PREYED ON VULNERABLE TEEN JAILED FOR 23 MONTHS

- By EMILY CARUBIA

THE mum of a vulnerable teenage boy who was preyed on by his care worker broke down in tears as she told a court "I unintentionally handed my son to a predator.

Lindy Leah was said to have "fallen in love with" the teenager, who was a resident of the home in St Helens where she was employed as a deputy manager.

The 44-year-old was accused of wearing inappropriate and revealing outfits in his presence. A series of WhatsApp messages meanwhile showed her apparently asking him "for a love bite" and encouraging him to go missing so they could enjoy a drug-fuelled "night away".

The victim's mum broke down in tears as she gave a statement to the court on Monday.

She said: "I can't begin to describe the devastation that has rocked my family from the moment we found out what had been happening to my son.

"Shock, anger, betrayal and feelings and failure have plagued me for the past year. But it isn't about me."

She described how she had allowed her son to go into care as she believed he would be safe, adding: "I couldn't give him the care he needed, so I handed over one of the most important persons in my life to people I thought would help him. It was not an easy decision, it was the hardest decision in my life.