Defendant denies soiled nappies charges

A defendant who is accused of dumping soiled adult nappies at children’s nurseries has appeared in court to deny the offences.

Abbie Taylor, who also appeared on the court list as Martin Tarling, faces a series of charges relating to alleged activities around nurseries in South Tyneside between October 2022 and November 2023.

For her appearance at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Stephen Earl asked if “Martin Tarling is now Abbie Taylor” and if her preferred pronouns were she and her.

Nick Lane, defending, said: “She has formally and officially changed her identity.”

Taylor, 45, of Haymarket Walk, South Sheilds, pleaded not guilty to three counts of dumping bags of soiled nappies at three local nurseries.

She also denied stealing clinical waste bags from one of the businesses and criminal damage to a fire escape and children’s milk bottles.

Taylor also pleaded not guilty to breaching a criminal behaviour order imposed by Nottinghamshire Magistrates’ Court in April this year, by being within 10 metres of a nursery without reasonable excuse.

The defendant also denies a charge of causing a public nuisance by committing a series of acts risking serious harm to the public.

She did not enter a plea to a charge of outraging public decency in a commercial bin containing soiled nappies.

The court heard the defence may make an application to dismiss that charge.

The case is being brought by South Tyneside Council.

Judge Earl adjourned the case for a pre-trial hearing on April 10 and she was granted conditional bail.

Conditions included not to be within 10m of a nursery, to keep out of bins and not to wear incontinence aids over her clothes.

A five-day trial was scheduled for March 2025.

Taylor, who had pink hair at her magistrates’ court hearing last year but now has short brown hair, swore at reporters as she left the crown court with her head covered by her coat.