Baby snatch woman admits sentence breach

A court was told that the 'disturbed' woman's fantasy world involved her desire to have children. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A woman who attempted to snatch a baby from Christchurch's St George's Hospital maternity ward in December 2008 has now pleaded guilty to a second charge of failing to do the community work sentence she received.

Rachel Marie French, 22, was given 250 hours community work on the charge of kidnapping at her Christchurch District Court sentencing on June 26 last year.

She was back in court in January pleading guilty to not carrying out the work.

Told that she was now getting on with the work, Judge Jane Farish imposed no additional hours.

"Finish your sentence and that will be the end of the matter," said Judge Farish.

Now French has admitted a further breach of the community work in March, and has been remanded for sentence on June 28.

French was described as "a very disturbed young woman" by Judge Raoul Neave when he sentenced her for attempting to take a two-day-old boy away from his mother.

She had gone to the ward pretending to be a trainee midwife, but had been noticed and stopped before she could leave with the baby.

The court was told that her fantasy world involved her desire to have children.

- NZPA