Dad was too drunk to care for baby son

A DAD has admitted consuming almost a bottle of rum while he was looking after his 15-month-old son.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday heard the 44-year-old, who cannot be named, was caught after his wife spoke to him on the phone and asked a neighbour to check on him.

Fiscal depute Jim O'Reilly said: "It became clear that the accused was quite heavily under the influence of alcohol. When the accused's wife returned she called the police."

Mr O'Reilly said the man had been looking after the child for around four or five hours and his wife suspected he had drunk an entire bottle of rum as she found an empty bottle. The fiscal added that he was described as "extremely drunk" by his wife and the police.

The man pleaded guilty to consuming so much alcohol he was incapable of looking after the boy on December 1 last year.

Defence agent Nerissa Drennan said the man had been under stress due to hearing news of an ill relative and had drunk some beers. She also said he had finished a bottle of rum but said it hadn't been full when he started drinking from it.

Sentence was deferred until next month.