A mother who did not send her son to school for almost three months barely escaped the cells yesterday after repeatedly interrupting the judge and turning her trial into a shambles.

Binti Gabeyre, 48, of Deeley Road, was found guilty of failing to send her eight-year-old son Ibrahim Mussa to Sir James Barrie Primary School in Stewarts Road, between May 19 and July 25 this year.

Somalian Gabeyre, who represented herself, interrupted District Judge Baynes on several occasions and was warned she would be held in contempt of court if she did not wait for her turn to speak.

The unemployed single mother claimed her son was being bullied and had been too ill to attend school since he came home with a lump on his head, which gave him dizzy spells.

No medical records were obtained to prove this.

Mr Jacobs, prosecuting, said the school reported Ibrahim punching another pupil in the face on one occasion and falling over, bumping his head in another incident. He had not attended school since.

The court heard an education officer from Wandsworth Council offered to find Ibrahim a place at another school to solve the problem, but Gabeyre declined.

The school and the education authority tried to contact Gabeyre several times to ask why Ibrahim had not been back, but no explanation was ever given. A £50 penalty fine, which doubled to £100 after 42 days, was issued but never paid.

Gabeyre’s daughter, who was called as a witness, said they were in the process of looking for another school for Ibrahim as he had been excluded. Prosecutor, Mr Jacobs, said there was no record of this.

In summing up, District Judge Baynes said: “It is clear to me that his sister and mother are concerned about bullying, but this does not excuse his non-attendence.

“I find that a deliberate decision was made not to send him back to school.”

Gabeyre was given an absolute discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs at South Western Magistrates’ Court.