A mother got her young son to fetch parcels for her from another address three times in heavy rain while she stayed at home, York magistrates heard.
When he got angry after the third journey, she ordered him out of her house, said Damian Walsh, prosecuting.
The boy ended up “walking two hours in the pouring rain” to get to a relative’s address.
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Before ordering him out of her house, the mother had screamed at him, grabbed his hair and made him walk downstairs by pulling his hair.
The boy is of primary school age, the court heard.
The mother, who is not being identified to protect the boy, denied a charge of child cruelty, then did not turn up to her trial at York Magistrates Court.
She was convicted in her absence after the boy gave evidence for the prosecution and the magistrates who heard the trial said in their judgement that they found him a “compelling and convincing witness,” said Mr Walsh.
Barrister Henry Fernandez, for the mother, said she had no previous convictions, and social services were not involved with the family.
The mother was given a 12-month community order with 10 days’ rehabilitative activities and ordered to do 80 hours’ unpaid work.
She must pay £600 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.
Mr Walsh said the family lived in a North Yorkshire town and the mother had asked the boy to cycle to the address where the first parcel was and bring it to their home.
“It was pouring with rain,” said the prosecutor, but the boy did so.
The mother asked him twice more to fetch parcels for her from the same address and the third was too big to carry on his bike, so he ended up walking back with it.
When he returned home the third time, the mother asked why he had taken so long and he shouted at her before starting to cry.
He went upstairs to his bedroom but his mother followed, both were screaming at each other and she grabbed his hair.
Mr Fernandez said the mother had shown some insight into her offending since the trial and had stable accommodation and stable finances.