CRUEL DAD SET FREE BUT WIFE IS JAILED.

Byline: GEOFFREY LAKEMAN

A BULLYING dad who laced chocolate with temazepam sedative to stop his children taking sweets from the fridge walked free from court yesterday.

But his wife was jailed for three months after a court heard how she sent their five youngsters to school unwashed, hungry and wearing summer clothes in winter.

The father also banged the children's heads against walls and choked, slapped, kicked and punched them.

One daughter suffered bleeding feet because her shoes did not fit properly.

Prosecutor Adam Vaitalinham told Exeter crown court: "The children were hungry and were only given water to drink. Neighbours would give them sweets and biscuits."

The dad, who spent five months in custody awaiting trial, was given a two year community rehabilitation order after the judge branded his treatment of the youngsters "grossly excessive".

He jailed the mother because she refused to accept her behaviour was wrong. She did not even consider her husband's actions to be abusive.

The Exeter couple, who are both 40 and cannot be named for legal reasons, each admitted two charges of child cruelty.

David Sapiecha, defending the mother, told the court: "She has no intention of having any more children.

"She does see her children but will never have them back in the future."