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The parent - who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child - was sentenced on a charge that he 'wilfully abandoned' the child in a manner likely to cause the child unnecessary suffering or injury to health. A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, that around 6.15pm on July 26 this year police were contacted by a concerned member of the public regarding a young boy in a playground in Antrim. The person told police there was a young boy at the park by himself with no adult supervision. The person spoke to the child who said his father had left and he didn't know where he was or when he was coming back. Other people noted the boy had been alone since at least 5.15pm. The defendant returned to a car park in a vehicle. Police stopped the car as it attempted to leave and the boy was in the passenger seat without a child restraint. The defendant told police a friend contacted him about a house fire. He could not show a call log and claimed that after seeing a Fire Engine go past he "knew it was his house". He alleged to police he had only been away for five minutes despite witnesses saying it was at least an hour. Police smelt intoxicating liquor and a preliminary breath test was 41 but the evidential sample in custody was 34 - below the legal limit of 35. A defence barrister said the defendant instructed that when he returned to his home fire engines were present. She said the defendant had no record and was "very remorseful". The lawyer said it had been a "moment of panic" when the defendant left to check on the situation at home and it had not been due to “malice or intent". She said the defendant asked his son to go with him "but he wanted to continue playing with his friend" and in a "clear lack of judgement he left his son there with the intention of returning immediately". The defendant had not realised the length of time which had passed before he returned to collect his son. The barrister said it was the first time Social Services had been involved with the family and the child is living with him. District Judge Nigel Broderick told the defendant: "Be under no misapprehension, this is a serious offence. To effectively abandon your own child who is six years of age and leave them unsupervised for at least an hour, anything could have happened to this child. "Thankfully nothing untoward did happen to the child but that is just but for good fortune and I have to say I am somewhat sceptical of your explanation about going back home to see if the house was on fire. There has been no proof whatsoever that the Fire Brigade attended at your home. One would have thought that would have been easily verified". The defendant, who had pleaded guilty, was ordered to do 75 hours of Community Service and was put on Probation for a year.
