Thomas Spoors, who was looking after the Scholes six-year-old when she was fatally injured in a barbecue accident earlier this year, escaped with curfew and community orders.

The youngster's dad today described Spoors as "sick scum" who had better not come near his family again.
The 56-year-old, of Stanley Place, Scholes, broke into the flat of his daughter, Suzanne Davies, and stole hundreds of pounds in cash just two months after Shannon lost her battle for life.

He appeared from custody before Wigan magistrates and pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing an unknown quantity of cash.
The money had originally been set aside for Christmas gifts, but after Shannon's death Suzanne and partner Glyn Gaskell decided that half of it should go towards the funeral costs. They have just been notified that the DSS is prepared to contribute £750,but that is only a little over half the cost.

Glyn said today that £550 had been taken in the raid and that only £250 of it had been recovered.
An alcoholic and epileptic, Spoors was seen by his daughter near her home, in Scholes, as she left to go shopping at around 2.15pm on Saturday, August 30.

About two hours later a neighbour again saw Spoors near the flat and, recognising him, innocently agreed to help the defendant climb through an unsecured first floor window so he could find a credit card he claimed to have left in the flat.

After leaving Spoors alone the neighbour became suspicious when he heard a loud crash from inside the property, the court heard.
Prosecutor Mike Ardern said: "The witness went back to the flat and asked Mr Spoors if he was burgling his daughter's flat, to which Mr Spoors replied: 'Yes, keep your mouth shut and grab a handful'.
"The handful related to a quantity of cash that was on the floor."

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