SHE WAS more interested in playing electronic games and watching television than looking after her baby.

From leaving him in soiled nappies, to putting him to bed on urine-stained mattresses, Lauren Evenden failed to take care of her one-year-old son’s most basic needs.

The shocking extent of the failure to care for her baby was laid bare yesterday as the 21-year-old, who is pregnant with her second child, admitted neglect at Southampton Crown Court.

The court heard how social services took action after several visits to Evenden’s ground-floor flat which they described as unhygienic and dirty.

On one occasion they found the youngster in a soiled nappy, while on another he was found lying on a urine-stained mattress.

Further investigations also revealed the Southampton mum had failed to take him for his six-week-old check-up and his inoculations had either been late or missed altogether.

Prosecutor Rob Welling told the hearing that when social services first went to her ground-floor flat, which was in a multi-occupancy building, they found clothes scattered everywhere, empty bottles of booze littered the floor and a tattoo kit which was within reach of the youngster.

And when they went to see the baby, he was wearing a sodden nappy and his cot was full of milk bottles.

He added: “It was apparent he had been left in his room longer than he should have been. He had been neglected and not looked after.”

The barrister then referred to a statement from her previous boyfriend who claimed she was more interested in playing electronic games and watching television rather than looking after her son.

He said that feeding was “chaotic and disorganised” and described how he would have to force her to get up when the baby started to cry at night.

Social services carried out a further three visits, which showed things had not improved, with the baby suffering from a sore because he had been left in a soiled nappy for too long.

Even when they got her an appointment with the doctor and she was prescribed a cream to treat the sore, she failed to pick it up.

Mr Welling said “the final straw” came five days later when social services returned to the premises and got no response.

It later became clear she had been out shopping and when she returned they found the baby in his room.

She maintained she had asked another resident to look after him but Mr Welling told the court that this person had “issues of her own” and he should not have been left with her.

As a result the child was taken into care and the court was told it was “unlikely” that Evenden would get back custody.

Evenden, of Wilton Road, Southampton, admitted neglect and received a nine-month suspended sentence coupled with 12 months’ supervision.

Jamie Gammon, defending, said Evenden had struggled with child issues and had suffered depression.

However, since living with her mother, things had improved and her situation was being carefully monitored by social services.

Passing sentence, Recorder Marcus Tregelis-Davey told Evenden she had failed in her obligations towards his care and welfare over a number of months. It had not been a single neglect.

“He didn’t receive the care he should have done from his mother.”