A drug addict who abandoned a terrified boy in a desolate wood before sparking a major missing person search has dodged jail.

Ashley McGovern drove the nine-year-old into the countryside near her then home in East Lothian before leaving the youngster, who was afraid of dark, to his fate

The 31-year-old sparked a massive search operation involving 60 police officers, the force helicopter with mountain rescue and coastguard teams having lied that the boy had vanished while picking up his bike.

He was found 24 hours later with no shoes and socks on after a dog walker heard him crying.

The traumatised schoolboy was badly affected by his ordeal, including suffering from brain injuries, and spent months in hospital undergoing extensive rehabilitation.

Medics also discovered he had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system indicating that he was exposed to the substances before being dumped in the woods.

McGovern had earlier admitted wilfully ill-treating and neglecting the boy to his severe injury, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life. She previously faced an accusation of attempting to murder the child.

She also admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

A judge told her at the High Court in Edinburgh that they were ‘extremely serious offences’.

Lord Young said: ‘Because of the significant harm caused to this child a custodial sentence would be the norm.’

He had remanded her in custody following the guilty plea anticipating he’d improve a jail sentence on her, but added he was persuaded a non-custodial sentence was appropriate.

Instead of prison, the judge ordered her to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work with as supervision requirement for the maximum period of three years.

First offender McGovern was assessed as a low risk of reoffending and someone who did not present a risk to the public.

Lord Young said she has suffered from clinical depression and anxiety linked to low self esteem for many years but has made ‘great strides’ towards getting her life together.

He said she has weaned herself off illicit drugs which was greatly to her credit and her mental health has improved significantly.

But McGovern has been unable to explain why she left the child in the wood.

The court heard that the boy was in ‘good spirits’ on the day before he got into McGovern’s car and was driven into the countryside and left in Brock Wood, near the village of Spott.

Advocate depute Alan Cameron KC said the sun had set at the time and there was no other light source in the area, adding: ‘The boy was known to be afraid of the dark.’

The youngster was wearing a short-sleeved top and jogging bottoms and abandoned with no food or water.

McGovern then texted a man asking if he had seen the child and at first told her father that the boy was ‘missing’ with the search operation launched.

After the distressed child was found by the dog walker, he was able to confirm his name but was ‘extremely confused’ and struggled to stand with two pools of blood found nearby and he was taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

Mr Cameron said the boy’s condition ‘deteriorated significantly’ as he experienced seizures, issues with his sight and involuntary limb movements. He ended up requiring a wheelchair to get about.

A medical specialist eventually though he may have ingested cocaine with tests confirming the suspicion with traces of alcohol also found along with a substance suggesting exposure to crack cocaine.

Defence counsel John Scullion KC said: ‘The accused recalls feeling a sense of panic and describes feeling that something flipped in her mind that day.’

He said McGovern was ‘a vulnerable individual’ who was introduced to cocaine at the beginning of lockdown and quickly became dependent on the drug.

She also struggled with mental health issues.

Mr Scullion said a social work report into McGovern confirmed she ‘displays shame and remorse’ for the pain and suffering she had caused which, in his submission, ‘is both genuine and profound’.