A Pembroke woman has admitted repeatedly hitting her eight-year-old child, after a morning argument about how she should get to school.

The incident involving the mother and daughter, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons, took place on November 2 last year, Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday.

The woman took her child to school for 7am, only to find that the gates were locked, so the pair walked into Hamilton for the mother to get to work.

The defendant then gave her daughter a bus pass to go to school and ordered her to go to the terminal next to City Hall.

However, the child was scared of taking the bus alone and decided to walk to school instead.

When the mother spotted her daughter shortly after wandering along Dundonald Street outside Masters Ltd hardware store, she lost her temper and slapped her around the head repeatedly.

She was heard to yell: “Get your f****** pass and get your f****** a** to catch the f****** bus.

“If you come back I’m going to f****** kill you.”

After the incident, one of the defendant’s colleagues took the shaken child inside Masters Ltd and then took her to school.

The mother, who has one prior conviction for an assault on police, was arrested on December 2.

This morning, she pleaded guilty to the wilful abuse and mistreatment of a child.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo ordered a Social Inquiry Report on the defendant, extending her bail and adjourning sentencing until May 18.

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