Accused nanny says sorry

Rachel Simons. Photo / Herald on Sunday.

A nanny deserted a 4-month-old baby in her care because she had to take her own daughter to the doctor.

Rachel Simons, 31, is facing a charge of leaving an infant unattended and is due to appear in court again on Tuesday. The baby's father unexpectedly turned up at her home to drop off nappies and discovered his boy alone.

The mother-of-two has spoken for the first time about the incident, expressing her remorse and saying she was under immense pressure that day and also had a sick daughter to look after.

"I had to take her to the doctor's, then I had to get a tyre fixed because there was a bubble in it," Simons said. She said she was caring for a second child for her employer, Porse, that day, and that child was taken to the doctor with her own daughter. Porse carers are allowed to look after up to four children at a time.

An emotional Simons told the Herald on Sunday: "I want you to know I take what I have done really seriously. I really respect and like the family and I am so upset this has occurred.

"I had a lot of things on my mind. My partner had just told me that he was thinking of taking a new job which would have meant us moving away. I also think I just stretched myself too thin the last couple of months."

She had not meant to leave the baby alone.

"I actually had organised someone to mind him. But I think there was a miscommunication and a nightmare series of events that just spiralled out of control."

She had resigned from Porse, which she had worked for for eight months, but said it had supported her.

"I have been very lucky to get the support of some of the other families of children I have looked after [too]."

She said the 4-month-old was a "beautiful" baby and she had never before left a child home alone - "not even to go to the letterbox".

An example of how stressed she was at the time was her taking the home phone, instead of her cellphone, in the car to the doctor.

"That goes to show how I wasn't thinking but that's why I have to make some changes in life. I have to get on top of things.

"I should have phoned the family straight away to say I need to take [my daughter] to the doctor's. But at the time I thought I was making the easiest decision.

"I just want the chance to tell the family how sorry I am - again."