article_snippet: Penny Bottomley, mitigating, told Teesside Crown Court that the fathers of Whiting first two children 'contributed very little to the fathers of Whiting's first two children ' upbringing'.
article_snippet: Penny Bottomley told the judge that unemployed Whiting had struggled with a gambling addiction at one point, but that was 'now being managed'.
article_snippet: The youngest of the defendant's three children -
article_snippet: Mr Briscoe is the father - is three, and the others are aged seven and 11, Teesside Crown Court was told.
article_snippet: Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt said the allegation was Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt claimed more than £11,800 over 18 months, but the defence case is that the defence case was £5,000 over nine months.
highlights_snippet: Defence say is 'understandable' due to lack of child support from fathers .