Sutton boozer passed out in park while young daughter was left unsupervised

Sanjay Jerath, prosecuting at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court, said concerned members of the public raised the alarm when they saw the man asleep in Sutton Lawn, last month.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted being drunk while having the charge of a child.

The court heard he worked a night shift before collecting the girl to spend the day with her.

He took her to a Wetherspoon’s pub and drank three pints of Guinness while she ate. He could not say how strong the cider was.

A probation officer told the court: “He couldn’t explain why he decided to do that. He hasn’t had a drink since the incident. He has been assessed as borderline drink-dependent.

“It’s fortunate no harm came to his child. I think he’s feeling quite lucky about that. She could have been taken away by someone else. He holds his hands up about that.”

Social services became involved and now his access to his daughter is supervised, the court heard.

The defendant has money worries after the agency he works for reduced his hours.

His last previous conviction dates back to to 2007 for an unrelated offence.

Sentencing, magistrates told him: “We can’t walk away from the seriousness of this and what could have happened.”

The man was given a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days and 40 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.